The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested a chieftain of the Labour Party (LP), Doyin Okupe, at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos.
Okupe, who was the immediate past Director-General of the LP Presidential Campaign Council was apprehended by the secret police on Thursday morning at the airport where he was billed to fly to London via Virgin Atlantic.
According to a statement by the Spokesman of the DSS, Peter Afunanya, he was intercepted at Terminal 1 of the airport at the instance of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Afunanya also said the LP chieftain has been handed over to the anti-graft agency.
What the DSS Spokesman is saying
- Afunanya in his statement said, “Doyin Okupe was intercepted by the DSS at Terminal 1 of Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos this (Thursday) morning at the instance of the EFCC.
- “He has long been handed over to the Commission which requested for the action. “Okupe was billed to fly to London via Virgin Atlantic.’’
Doyin Okupe reacts
Meanwhile, Okupe confirmed his arrest at the Lagos airport. He, however, said he has been released by the EFCC, and senior officials of the anti-graft commission “apologized” to him for “the error”
Okupe in a tweet post on his official Twitter account said, ‘’I was arrested & detained @ the MMIA, Lagos this morning, 12th Jan on my way to the UK for medicals; years after my passport had been withheld by the FHC Abuja. I just left the EFCC office where Snr Officers in Lagos & Abuja apologised to me for the error.’’
For the record
- Earlier in December 2022, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja convicted Doyin Okupe, for violating the Money Laundering Act.
- Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu stated Okupe was guilty in 26 out of the 59 counts against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the money laundering offence, citing that the 26 counts, attracted a two-year jail term each and would run concurrently.
- Okupe was given an option of N500, 000 in each of the counts, amounting to N13 million.
- Okupe, an ally of Obi right from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before the duo joined the LP this year, subsequently paid a N13 million fine.
- Okupe later resigned from his role as the Director-General of the Labour Party’s Presidential Campaign Council.