The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Nigeria has been petitioned to investigate Kelly Okungbowa, a senior Edo State government official, after a video surfaced online showing him spraying naira notes on two exotic dancers.
Okungbowa, a close ally of Governor Monday Okpebholo, serves as the Chairman of the Edo State Asset Recovery Committee and the State Coordinator of the Public Safety Response Team (PSR). In the footage, which emerged over the weekend, he is seen tossing wads of cash while two scantily clad women dance around him, rubbing the notes on their bodies.
A civil society group, Concerned Edo Youth, submitted a petition to the EFCC’s Benin Zonal Office, calling for his immediate prosecution. The group cited past cases where private citizens faced legal action for similar acts, accusing the government of double standards in enforcing financial regulations.
“The EFCC must act now, or is the law only meant for the poor?” asked Comrade Joseph Gbale, the group’s president.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act of 2007 criminalizes the abuse of naira notes, including spraying, stepping on, or mishandling currency. Offenders face a ₦50,000 fine, six months in prison, or both. Authorities have previously enforced this law against private citizens. In 2024, actress Oluwadarasimi Omoseyin and socialite Bobrisky were both convicted for currency abuse, while businessman Cubana Chief Priest settled his case out of court.
The scandal adds to mounting troubles for Governor Okpebholo’s administration, which is already grappling with corruption allegations, dwindling public support, and an impending tribunal ruling on his disputed election. Recently, the state’s Public Safety Response Team was suspended following public outrage over the death of a two-year-old child, and the Attorney General was removed over corruption allegations.
Observers are watching closely to see if the EFCC will take action against Okungbowa or if the case will fade amid political tensions in the state.
