The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has commented on the arrest of Doyin Okupe following the reaction of the Department of State Service (DSS).
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 18 July, 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, 12 January, 2023, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, on his way to London.
They cited the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as the mastermind for the interception.
Reacting to his rearrest on Thursday at the Lagos Airport, the Public Relations Officer for DSS, Dr Peter Afunanya, said the former LP campaign DG was arrested after his attempt to leave the country for London.
“Doyin Okupe was intercepted by DSS at Terminal 1 of Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos this morning at the instance of the EFCC,” Afunanya said in a text message sent to The Punch enquiring about his (Okupe) arrest.
“He has long been handed over to the commission which requested the action. Okupe was billed to fly to London via Virgin Atlantic.”
However, one of Okupe lawyers, Tolu Babaleye, has reacted on Facebook bemoaning the arrest of his client.
Babalaye claimed that the DSS asked him to provide court processes where he paid the fine option following his money laundering conviction by the Federal High Court, Abuja.
“The reason according to the source is that he was asked to produce evidence that the Federal High Court Abuja has freed him from the case in which he was convicted and paid a fine to the knowledge of the whole world and was allowed to go home.
“When will this harassment stop? Who is after Dr Okupe? As of today, the man has no case to answer, I hereby demand that the DSS should release my client immediately as this is a violation of his freedom of movement, right to liberty and dignity as a human person. This is unfair as the man’s health is fast failing,” he wrote.
