How EFCC Tracked Down Cubana Chief Priest And Arrested Him

Details have emerged showing how the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission tracked and arrested popular Instagram celebrity, Pascal Okechukwu aka Cubana Chief Priest.

 
It was gathered that Mr Okechukwu was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Wednesday.
 
Premium Times reported that Mr Okechukwu was arrested at the airport while trying to board a flight to Owerri, the Imo State capital.
 
“We have a popular Instagram socialite in our custody in Abuja. He is known as Cubana Chief Priest. He was arrested on Wednesday, in Abuja on his way to Owerri,” a source told our reporter.
 
The socialite was last seen in public when he was caught by the camera at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, during a FIFA World Cup qualifier match between Ghana and Nigeria last Tuesday.
 
Many of his fans who were unaware of his arrest had expressed concerns about his whereabouts due to his days-long silence on Instagram.
 
His failure to return birthday wishes which kept flowing in on his Instagram page on Saturday had further deepened his fans’ concerns about his whereabouts.
 
The 41-year-old socialite’s quiet birthday on Saturday is in stark contrast to the extravagant birthday parties he had last year with several well-known celebrities in attendance, and taking to Instagram to do a giveaway of N1m to his followers.
 
Evading invites for questioning
 
Multiple sources familiar with the matter informed this newspaper that Mr Okechukwu was trailed and monitored by a team of EFCC detectives at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja on Tuesday.
 
“Our officers, led by an investigator in charge of the matter, had sent a team to the national stadium in Abuja where he was alongside his friends. His activities were carefully monitored.
 
“We received information after the football match that Mr Cubana Chief Priest would be flying out of the FCT. We picked him up from there at the airport,” one of the sources said.
 
Sources disclosed to our reporter that investigators have requested the commission to obtain a warrant  to keep Mr Okechuwkwu in detention.
 
This newspaper learnt that Mr Okechukwu was picked up after allegedly refusing to honour several EFCC invitations.
 
“We sought a warrant of arrest to keep him (Cubana Chief Priest) in our custody because this is someone who has been refusing to honour our invitations.
 
“We would keep him here with us to avoid him tampering with evidence and he can as well answer several questions on the evidence we have against him,” a source added.
 
The spokesperson for the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, has yet to respond to the arrest of Mr Okechukwu.
 
When contacted by our reporter on Sunday, Mr Uwujaren did not immediately respond to several calls and text messages sent to his known phone number.
 
Investigations
 
Although allegations against the socialite were sketchy as of press time, a source disclosed to our reporter that Mr Okechukwu was being interrogated by operatives of the commission over alleged money laundering and tax evasion.
 
His arrest came months after his associate and long time friend, Obinna Iyiegbu, popularly known as Obi Cubana, was arrested by EFCC operatives over a case of alleged money laundering and tax fraud.
 
Messrs Okechukwu and Iyiegbu, both socialites, made headlines in July last year when they gathered with friends in Oba village in Anambra State, Nigeria’s South-east, for the burial of Mr Iyiegbu’s late mother.
 
Obi Cubana’s friends frequently threw wads of naira bills into the air and at him during the burial, amid gift items presented to him in wide-ranging forms.
 
Clips of the ceremony, which were widely shared on social media, elicited conflicting reactions from Nigerians, with some doubting Mr Cubana’s financial sources and others defending him as “a kind and generous man” who worked hard to achieve success.

Posted: at 4-04-2022 12:39 PM (2 years ago) | Gistmaniac

Good. Let's hope they do a good job, get to the root of his purported monies and make the information public.

Posted: at 4-04-2022 02:07 PM (2 years ago) | Gistmaniac

Hmmmm  Naija

Posted: at 4-04-2022 03:27 PM (2 years ago) | Upcoming

I would like to see the end of this before commenting on it. But I know I will be disappointed if he is found guilty because he should not be exempted from punishment.

Posted: at 4-04-2022 03:48 PM (2 years ago) | Hero

This is just sheer jealousness. What type of crime is Cabana in to?  when you talk of proceeds from crime then, no politician is exempted: the presidency , governors, national and state assemblies, local government and councillors, INEC people, DSS, EFCC, name them, The money they amass does not belong  to them as such , constitute crime. Because  he went to a funeral and  spread money, now he is called to explain his means of income. Lots of politicians owe mansions in Dubai to which EFCC, ICPC DSS etc are  aware of, have they call them to enquire their source of income. The issue of Tinubu bullion van, Ganduje dollar bribe etc have all been swept under the carpet because there is no law in Nigeria , let alone the rule of law. Hence you are within the armpit of government in power, judiciary has no power, and that is no democracy

Posted: at 4-04-2022 09:12 PM (2 years ago) | Upcoming