Naira abuse: Collective calls for the prosecution of Edo APC candidate

According to the Central Bank of Nigeria Act of 2007, Monday Okpebholo, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress for the Edo State governorship on September 21st, faces a six-month prison sentence after a group of civil society organizations under the umbrella of the Network of Civil Society Organizations in Nigeria accused him of misusing the naira, the country’s currency.

In a plea dated May 2, 2024, and addressed to the EFCC chairman, the group filed a charge against Okpebholo with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Victor Kalu, the group’s national coordinator, and Ali Abacha, its national secretary, both signed the petition.

The coalition used the CBN Act of 2007, which makes such acts illegal, to prove that the senator committed the crime of naira abuse and mutilation.

The coalition said it is “disappointment that prominent individuals, including lawmakers, have violated this provision of the CBN Act.”

Meanwhile, they commended the EFCC for its “swift response in arresting and charging individuals who have been caught on viral videos abusing and defacing the Naira at social events such as the cases of Mr Okuneye Idris Olarewaju, popularly known as Bobrisky, and Mr Pascal Okechukwu, also known as Cubana Chief Priest, who have faced legal consequences for their actions.”

Although the coalition applauded the EFCC for its efforts, it insisted that everyone shown in viral videos mistreating the Naira be immediately detained and prosecuted because nobody is above the law.

They called on the EFCC and other law enforcement agencies to investigate the “viral video involving Senator Monday Okpebholo, who is seen engaging in Naira abuse and mutilation.”

They went on to say that Okpebholo ought to answer for his deeds in his capacity as the people’s representative.

But they issued a warning: if the viral video featuring Okpebholo is not addressed, the group will act further.

Citing bias and selective action, they promised to organize a nonviolent demonstration against the EFCC if it did not address the viral video featuring Okpebholo. They also warned to mobilize their members, sympathizers, and democracy advocates.

The senator denied the claim in his reply, claiming it was untrue.

In a statement released in Abuja on Tuesday, Okpebholo called the accusation a “hatchet job” meant to damage his reputation before the September governorship race.

He accused the opposition camp and his critics of being the masterminds behind the slanderous campaign.

The congressman maintained that he is not the man in the video that is going viral on social media, even though he has never been detained by the police for a civil or criminal offense.

He said, “As a private and public person, I have never sprayed or mutilated the naira in my over 50 years on earth. It baffles me why these agents will fabricate fake news to tarnish my image ahead of the election. I therefore called on the IGP to investigate the faces behind the petition and prosecute them accordingly.

“They are scouting for fake news and non-existent things to blackmail me and lie to Edo people. Unfortunately, we know what they are up to. They are smelling the defeat already. Edo people have already decided, and no amount of State-sponsored intimidation will work.

“In Edo State, President Bola Tinubu-led APC administration is working. The federal government is reconstructing federal roads in Edo Central, Edo North, and Edo South. That is why Edo people must take sides with the APC and vote for me as the next governor of Edo State. We will bring the federal government closer to the Edo people. We have been isolated for too long, and it is time to end that alienation.”