The Department of State Services (DSS) arrested a former presidential adviser Dr. Doyin Okupe on Thursday morning based on an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) watch-list request issued over six years ago, The Nation has learnt.
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The DSS arrested Okupe at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos and handed him over to the EFCC.
DSS spokesman, Dr. Peter Afunanya, who confirmed the arrest, said Okupe’s interception was at the instance of the EFCC and handed over to the agency.
But the EFCC said it released Okupe soon after because the watch-list request had expired.
EFCC Head, Media & Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren said the Commission issued the watch-list request on July 18, 2016 over six years before Okupe’s recent conviction on money laundering charges by the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Uwujaren explained that the EFCC was about to lift the watch-list request before the DSS acted.
Uwujaren, in a statement titled ‘Interception of Doyin Okupe’ said: “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.”
Okupe, a former Director-General of the Labour Party (LP) Presidential Campaign Council to the EFCC, confirmed his release in a tweet.
“I was arrested & detained @ the MM int airport, Lagos this morning 12th Jan on my way to the UK for medicals, yrs after my passport was withheld by the FHC Abuja.I just left the efcc office where snr officers in lagos& Abuja apologised to me for the error. OCCUPATIONAL HAZZARD abi?” Okupe tweeted.
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