According to a widely shared video, the Nigeria Police Force has arrested a police officer who was seen with Wahab and Raheem Okoya, the sons of billionaire industrialist Chief Razaq Okoya. In order to promote a new song called Credit Alert, the Okoya brothers displayed their wealth as the officer engaged in unethical behaviour, including holding and throwing bundles of Naira notes. The officer’s actions were deemed unprofessional and against police ideals by Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Force Public Relations Officer, who also announced that disciplinary action is being taken.
Public outrage has been raised by the occurrence, with many people thinking that the powerful businessman’s sons would escape punishment. It is illegal and culturally offensive to mistreat Nigerian naira by doing things like dancing on, spraying, or destroying banknotes. Such actions can result in severe consequences, such as fines and incarceration, and are regarded as insulting to national symbols. Wahab and Raheem Okoya, the sons of billionaire businessman Chief Razaq Okoya, were recently involved in a viral video that promoted a new song called “Credit Alert.”
Okoya brothers have not been the subject of public records of legal action.
In the footage, a police officer was seen clutching bundles of naira notes while they were brandishing and spraying them. The public is widely critical of this incident. Many Nigerians were worried about the seeming double standards in law enforcement and wondered if the Okoya brothers would be subject to the same punishments as other people for similar crimes. Interestingly, Social Media activist VeryDarkMan blasted the Nigeria Police Force and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for failing to prosecute the Okoya brothers in spite of their public apology.
Apparently, the Nigeria Police Force’s reputation has been further damaged by the presence of a police officer in the footage. As being unprofessional and against the force’s standards, the officer’s involvement in the naira abuse episode has been denounced. The police have responded by placing the implicated officer under disciplinary arrest. Despite the fact that the police officer is currently in custody, Wahab and Raheem Okoya have not been the subject of any public records of legal action. Their involvement in the incident has sparked conversations about Nigerian society’s perceptions of privilege and money, with many people believing that laws are applied differently depending on social standing.
Bobrisky was taken into custody by the EFCC in April 2024 for abusing ₦.
Actively opposing the misuse of the naira, The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has emphasised that such behaviour is unlawful and subject to legal penalties. A number of naira abuses, such as spraying, selling, mutilating, and rejecting the currency, are illegal under the CBN Act. Violators risk jail time and fines. A persistent problem that has resulted in numerous noteworthy instances and legal actions is the abuse of the Nigerian naira, which includes things like spraying or destroying banknotes.
For allegedly defacing naira banknotes, Nigerian internet celebrity Bobrisky was taken into custody by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in April 2024. The accusations were based on social media footage that seemed to show Bobrisky flinging cash into the air during a movie screening. After entering a guilty plea to four charges of money abuse, Bobrisky received a six-month prison sentence without the possibility of a fine. The Nigerian government’s determination to enforce laws against naira abuse in order to protect the currency’s integrity and encourage responsible handling among its citizens is demonstrated by these occurrences.
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A number of naira abuses have been discovered by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and they are all illegal. These include shredding, soiling, spraying, writing on, stapling, selling, mutilating, and rejecting the currency. Notwithstanding these initiatives, there are still difficulties in reducing naira abuse, especially at social gatherings where splashing cash is a deeply embedded cultural practice. In order to discourage similar acts in the future, the CBN keeps educating the public about the legal ramifications of such behaviour and works to ensure consistent enforcement.