The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has explained that the arrest of Doyin Okupe, a former director general of Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council was a mix up.
The anti-graft agency cleared the air after officials of the Department of State Services, DSS, arrested him on Thursday morning acting on a watch-list request issued by the EFCC.
The EFCC in a statement by its spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren said following Okupe’s sentencing last month, he was supposed to have been taken off the list.
“The Department of State Services, DSS, today, January 12, informed the Commission of the interception of Dr. Doyin Okupe, former presidential adviser, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
“The Service acted on a Watch-list request issued on July 18, 2016, over six years before his 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,” the statement.
On December 19, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, in a judgment, found Doyin Okupe guilty of 26 out of the 59 counts preferred against him by the EFCC in a N702 million money laundering offense.
Justice Ojukwu ordered that the 26 counts, which attracted two-year jail terms each, would run concurrently.
The judge, however, gave an option of N500, 000 in each of the counts, amounting to N13 million, which must be paid before 4:30 pm, (the close of work) today.
