By Chinelo Obogo, Lagos

The Department of State Services (DSS) on Thursday morning arrested Doyin Okupe, the former Director General of the Peter Obi Presidential Campaign Organisation, at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos.

The Labour Party chieftain was billed to fly to London with Virgin Atlantic before he was apprehended by the security operatives. The DSS spokesman, Peter Afunanya said in a statement on Thursday that Okupe was intercepted at the behest of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He also said that the LP chieftain has been handed over to the anti-graft agency.

“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 the action. “Okupe was billed to fly to London via Virgin Atlantic,” the DSS spokesman said.

Shortly afterwards, Okupe tweeted from his social media handle, confirming his arrest at the Lagos airport but said he has been released by the EFCC and that senior officials of the anti-graft commission apologised to him for the error.

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“I was arrested and detained at the MMIA, Lagos this morning, 12th January 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 senior officers in Lagos and Abuja apologised to me for the error. Occupational hazard abi?” he tweeted.

However, in a statement, EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren said it acted on a watch list issued over six years before Okupe’s recent conviction on money laundering charges by the Abuja court.

“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,” Uwujaren said.

Okupe resigned as the DG of Obi’s campaign after Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of a Federal High Court in Abuja on December 19, 2022, found him guilty of receiving over N200 million cash from former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki, ruling that his action violated the Money Laundering Act.

The court held that Okupe was guilty in counts 34, 35, 36, and 59 and sentenced him to two years imprisonment with an option of a fine. He subsequently paid a N13 million fine.