A report about popular Nigerian businessman and socialite Pascal Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest, receiving ₦10 million bail is trending again across entertainment platforms.
However, the development is not a new September 2026 court ruling.
Cubana Chief Priest was granted ₦10 million bail by the Federal High Court in Lagos in April 2024, after he pleaded not guilty to a three-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged abuse and tampering with the Nigerian currency.
The resurfaced report comes amid renewed attention to the celebrity’s legal history and the EFCC’s broader enforcement of laws concerning the abuse of the naira.
What happened to Cubana Chief Priest?
Cubana Chief Priest was arraigned before Justice Kehinde Ogundare of the Federal High Court in Lagos on April 17, 2024.
The EFCC accused him of spraying and tampering with ₦500 notes during social events, including an event at Eko Hotel in Lagos.
He pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge. Following the plea, the court granted him bail of ₦10 million with two sureties in like sum.
The court’s conditions included requirements concerning the sureties’ employment and property within the jurisdiction. He was also ordered to surrender his international passport to the court while the bail conditions were being perfected.
Why was Cubana Chief Priest charged?
The EFCC’s case centred on allegations that Cubana Chief Priest had tampered with and abused naira notes by spraying them at social gatherings.
The charge referred to alleged incidents involving ₦500 notes and cited Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act 2007. One of the allegations concerned an event at Eko Hotel on February 13, 2024.
At the time, the case attracted significant public attention because the EFCC was also prosecuting other high-profile personalities over alleged naira abuse.
What happened after the ₦10m bail?
The case did not simply end with the bail ruling.
By May 2024, the EFCC and Cubana Chief Priest’s defence team told the court that they were exploring an out-of-court settlement.
The development was reported after the parties appeared before the court on May 2, 2024.
A later report stated that the Federal High Court struck out the charge after the prosecution and defence adopted terms of settlement.
The reported terms included a commitment by Cubana Chief Priest to maintain good behaviour and participate in campaigns against abuse of Nigerian currency.
Why is the ₦10m bail story trending again?
The latest wave of interest appears to be driven largely by entertainment websites resurfacing the old court report.
One entertainment news listing updated on September 22–23, 2026, placed both “Court Grants Cubana Chief Priest N10M Bail” and a separate EFCC/Cubana Chief Priest settlement story among its current entertainment headlines.
But the original bail ruling dates back to April 2024.
That distinction matters because readers searching for “Cubana Chief Priest ₦10m bail” today may encounter articles that do not clearly explain when the court actually granted the bail.
Cubana Chief Priest and the EFCC case: Timeline
April 17, 2024: Cubana Chief Priest was arraigned by the EFCC and pleaded not guilty to three counts relating to alleged naira abuse.
April 17, 2024: The Federal High Court granted him ₦10 million bail with two sureties in like sum.
May 2, 2024: The EFCC and defence informed the court that they were exploring an out-of-court settlement.
Later in 2024: Reports stated that the charge was struck out following adoption of the settlement terms.
September 2026: The old ₦10 million bail story resurfaced on entertainment platforms and began attracting renewed attention.
What should readers know?
The most important point is that Cubana Chief Priest was not newly granted ₦10 million bail in September 2026based on the reliable reports reviewed for this story.
The ₦10 million bail was a 2024 development connected to his naira-abuse case.
The renewed online interest appears to be linked to the resurfacing of the old court report alongside current entertainment coverage.
For readers encountering the story for the first time, the original case involved allegations by the EFCC. Cubana Chief Priest pleaded not guilty, meaning the allegations were contested and should not be presented as established guilt.
Quick Facts
Full name: Pascal Okechukwu
Popular name: Cubana Chief Priest
Case: Alleged naira abuse/tampering
Agency: Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
Court: Federal High Court, Lagos
Bail: ₦10 million
Date bail was granted: April 17, 2024
Plea: Not guilty
Subsequent development: Parties pursued an out-of-court settlement
