EFCC ARRESTS WOMAN FOR ALLEGED NAIRA ABUSE IN GOMBE

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A woman named Janty Emmanuel has been taken into custody by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s Gombe State Zonal Command investigators for allegedly misusing Nigerian cash in the state.

On Monday, May 20, 2024, Emmanuel was taken into custody based on information that she had been seen dousing Naira notes at a social gathering.

This was revealed in a statement released on Tuesday by Dele Oyewale, the head of the commission’s media and publicity department.

The statement partly read, “Upon arrest, the suspect was shown the video where she was dancing at G-Connect, Tumfure, Gombe State and spraying Naira notes of N1,000 denomination.

“She admitted committing the crime. She will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.”

For some months now, the anti-graft agency has continued to clamp down on Nigerians who are found guilty of abusing the naira.

In April 2024, the Federal High Court in Lagos State, sentenced controversial crossdresser, Idris Olarewaju Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, to six months imprisonment without the option of a fine for abusing the naira.

During the convict’s punishment, Justice Abimbola Awogboro declared that the verdict will serve as a warning to those who would be found misusing or disfiguring naira.

Bobrisky had pleaded with the court prior to the sentence that he was ignorant of the law regarding naira abuse.

He said that he is a social media influencer with over five million followers.

The judge then told him that ignorance of the law was not an excuse.

He said, “I know, My Lord. My Lord, I wish that you could give me a second chance to use my platform to inform and educate my followers about spraying money.

“I would do a video on my page and I would educate people about spraying money.

“I will not repeat it, My Lord. I regret my actions, My Lord.”

However, popular celebrity barman, Pascal Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest, had reached an agreement with the EFCC to resolve the naira abuse charge outside of court.

Cubana Chief Priest appeared before Justice Kehinde Ogundare, facing three counts related to abusing the national currency at a social gathering.

He allegedly sprayed and tampered with the naira notes during a social event at the Eko Hotel in Lagos.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against him and was granted bail in the sum of N10 million.