As a senior Edo State government official, Kelly Okungbowa, also known as Ebo Stone, was caught on camera spraying newly minted naira notes on two strippers at a private party.
Okungbowa is the Chairman of the Edo State Asset Recovery Committee and the State Coordinator of the Public Safety Response Team (PSR). The video, which went viral over the weekend, shows Okungbowa throwing bundles of cash into the air while two barely clothed women danced around him and rubbed the notes on their bodies..
The party is said to have taken place at a high-end lounge in Benin City, which sources allege is linked to the government official.
The misuse of naira notes, such as walking on, spraying, or handling money improperly, is prohibited by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act of 2007. Violators could be fined N50,000, imprisoned for six months, or both.
This legislation has been implemented by authorities before, most notably in February 2024 when actress Oluwadarasimi Omoseyin received a six-month prison sentence for treading on naira notes. Socialite Bobrisky was given a similar sentence in May 2024, and businessman Cubana Chief Priest later reached an out-of-court settlement.
The public debate over whether politicians and private citizens are treated equally under the law has been reignited by the Okungbowa video. Civil society groups, including Concerned Edo Youth, have petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate and prosecute Okungbowa.
The group’s president, Joseph Gbale, charged the government with hypocrisy, claiming that while they engage in the same careless behavior behind closed doors, they harass drivers and traders in the name of public safety.
Growing public dissatisfaction with Governor Okpebholo’s administration—which is dealing with corruption allegations and an impending tribunal verdict on his hotly contested election—is the cause of the controversy.
Following the untimely death of two-year-old Gift Kelly Osahon, the Public Safety Response Team was suspended, and the consequences are still being felt by his government. His reputation has been further damaged by the suspension of his attorney general due to corruption charges and his continuous conflict with President Bola Tinubu’s administration over control of local governments.
