By Danlami Nmodu
There has been a fresh twist to the arrest Thursday of former presidential adviser, Doyin Okupe by operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS.Until recently, Okupe was the Director General, Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council.
Though DSS said it acted based on a request from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, the anti graft agency has blamed a 2016 watch-list for the arrest.The commission said it was in the process of “formally lifting the watch-list before his interception.”
Reacting to Okupe arrest, EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren confirmed in a statement that, “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.
He however noted that, “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.
Uwujarenconsequently y revealed that, “The Commission was in the process of formally lifting the watch-list before his interception and will expedite action in this regard.”
We intercepted Okupe based on EFCC’s request – DSS
While confirming Okupe’s arrest, Peter Afunanya, Public Relations Officer of DSS, said it acted on a request by EFCC
He said, “Doyin Okupe was intercepted by the DSS at Terminal 1 of Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos this morning at the instance of the EFCC.
“He has long been handed over to the Commisson which requested for the action.
“Okupe was billed to fly to London via Virgin Atlantic”, Afunanya concluded
Okupe released, says his arrest was in error
Prior to the update by the EFCC Okupe had tweeted that his arrest was in error.
He said, “I was arrested & detained @ the MMIA, Lagos this morning, 12th Jan on my way to 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 appologised (sic) to me for the error.
“OCCUPATIONAL HAZZARD abi?”
See his twitter post below:
