•••SAYS HE WAS ARRESTED IN ERROR
The Department of State Services on Thursday handed over Dr. Doyin Okupe, the immediate past Director-General of the Labour Party (LP) Presidential Campaign Council, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Okupe was picked up by operatives of the anti-graft agency on Thursday morning at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, on his way to London, United Kingdom.
The Network gathered that Okupe a former spokesman to President Olusegun was scheduled to fly to London on Virgin Atlantic flight when he was intercepted
Spokesman for the DSS, Dr. Peter Afunanya, confirmed the arrest of Okupe and his handing over to the EFCC.
“Doyin Okupe was intercepted by DSS at Terminal 1 of Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos this morning at the instance of the EFCC. He has long been handed over to the commission which requested the action.”
But Okupe said his arrest was done in error as the officials of the EFCC apologized and released him.
“I was arrested and detained at the MM international airport, Lagos this morning 12th Jan on my way to UK for medicals, years of my passport being with held by the FHC Abuja.
“ I have just left the efcc office where snr officers in Lagos, and Abuja apologised to me for the error. OCCUPATIONAL Hazard abi?”
Okupe had resigned from his position Director-General of the Labour Party (LP) Presidential Campaign Council, following the court judgement that convicted him for money laundering.
He announced his resignation in a letter addressed to Peter Obi, LP presidential candidate, and dated Dec. 20, 2022
Okupe in his letter posted on his official Twitter handle, stated: “It’s time to step aside. But I am with PO and the Obidients and the Presidential Campaigns till God gives us victory in Jesus Name”.
Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court convicted Okupe for breaching the Money Laundering Act in Abuja on Monday.
The Labour Party chieftain, was formerly a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, but was subsequently sentenced to two and a half years in prison.
However, the presiding judge, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, gave Okupe an option of N500,000 fine on each of the 26 count charges, totalling N13m for which he was found guilty.
