The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has commented on the arrest of Doyin Okupe.
EFCC Head of Media, Wilson Uwujaren said the DSS informed the commission of the interception.
The spokesperson noted that the security agency acted on a watchlist request issued on July 18, 2016.
That was six years before Okupe’s recent conviction on money laundering charges by the Federal High Court, Abuja.
“The Commission was in the process of formally lifting the watch list before his interception and will expedite action in this regard”, Uwujaren added.
Okupe, who has been released, disclosed that EFCC senior officers in Lagos or Abuja “apologised for the error”.
The Department of State Services (DSS) arrested Okupe on Thursday, January 12, 2023, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, on his way to London.
Okupe confirmed that was heading to the United Kingdom for medical attention.
In a news reported earlier, DSS arrests politician Doyin Okupe.
The EFCC had alleged that Okupe received funds from the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, which he could not account for.
The Department of Security Services (DSS) has arrested politician, Doyin Okupe.
Confirming his arrest to LIB, the spokesperson of the security agency, Peter Afunanya, said Okupe was intercepted at Terminal 1 at the Murtala International Airport at the instance of the EFCC.
”He has long been handed over to the Commisson which requested for the action. Okupe was billed to fly to London via Virgin Atlantic” Afunanya said
Recall that on Monday, December 19, a Federal High Court in Abuja found Okupe guilty of receiving over N200m cash from a former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd).
[ruby_related heading=”More Read” total=5 layout=1]In the judgment delivered by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, the trial court held that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, successfully established its case against Okupe, that evidence before it, established that he had in the discharge of his official duties as an aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan, accepted cash payments that were above the statutory threshold, without recourse to a financial institution.
The EFCC had alleged that Okupe received funds from the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, which he could not account for. He was convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment on counts 34 to 59. The court however gave the defendant an option of N500, 000 fine on each of the counts. Okupe paid the fine which summed up to N13 million and he was subsequently released.
