Popular Instagram celebrity, Pascal Okechukwu, also known as Cubana Chief Priest, was arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after he was carefully monitored, it was learnt.
The EFCC operatives arrested Okechukwu at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Wednesday.
Sources said that 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 disclosed.
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.
Sources familiar with the matter said that 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 that investigators requested the commission to obtain a warrant to keep Okechuwkwu in detention.
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 Okechukwu.
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