Subomi and Wahab Okoya, sons of billionaire industrialist Chief Razaq Okoya, have been invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for interrogation following a viral video showing them spraying naira notes at a public event.
The EFCC, in a letter signed by its Lagos acting director, Michael Wetkas, directed the duo to report at the commission’s special operations team office, located at 15A Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, by 10:00 AM on Monday, January 13, 2025.
The viral clip, which stirred outrage on social media, showed the Okoya brothers encircling a police officer who was seen holding bundles of ₦1,000 notes, while the group danced to music and sprayed cash—a practice that violates Section 21(3) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007, which prohibits the abuse of naira notes.
In response to the public backlash, Subomi Okoya took to social media on Friday, January 10, 2025, to issue an apology.
In a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account, he said, “To the Nigerian people, my actions were not to cause any trouble or harm. My intentions were pure and naive. I ask for your forgiveness and support in this situation as I had no intention to raise such an alarm. I wasn’t fully aware of the consequences of my action.”
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) also took swift action against the officer featured in the video.
Muyiwa Adejobi, the NPF spokesperson, announced that the officer had been identified and detained for unethical conduct.
“The policeman captured in the recent viral video shared by the sons of the Lagos businessman, Chief Okoya, where they were abusing the naira, has been detained for disciplinary action. The involvement of the policeman has been condemned as unethical, and we will always strive to uphold the sanctity, credibility, and core values of the police,” Adejobi said in a statement.
However, the action taken against the detained officer stirred outrage on social media as netizens and popular critics such as VeryDarkMan and Daniel Regha called the action unfair and ‘ridiculous’ when the major culprits Subomi and Wahab Okoya are still walking freely.
This incident follows a series of similar enforcement actions by the EFCC against naira abuse.
In April 2024, the commission arrested popular social media celebrity Bobrisky for defacing naira notes. Bobrisky was arraigned on a six-count charge.
Similarly, on April 16, 2024, the EFCC filed a three-count charge against socialite Cubana Chief Priest over alleged naira abuse.
As part of its efforts to stop such practices, the EFCC has reminded the public of the legal repercussions tied to naira misuse.
“The abuse of the naira, whether through spraying at events or defacing notes, will not be tolerated. These acts degrade the value of our currency and attract severe penalties under the law,” said an EFCC official.
The EFCC’s interrogation of the Okoya brothers is scheduled to take place on January 13, 2025.
