The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has confirmed that the arrest of Doyin Okupe, a former director-general of the Labour Party’s presidential campaign organisation by the Department of State Security Service (DSS) was done erroneously.
The DSS earlier announced that it intercepted Okupe at the Terminal 1 of Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos on Thursday morning, explaining that “it is at the instance of the EFFC.”
A terse statement signed by Peter Afunnaya, spokesperson of the Service read, “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 commission which requested for the action. Okupe was billed to fly to London via Virgin Atlantic.”
However, the EFCC in a statement signed by its Spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, disclosed 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.
Read also: DSS arrests Doyin Okupe at Lagos airport
The commission said it is in the process of formally lifting the watch-list before his interception and will expedite action accordingly.
Meanwhile, Okupe in his verified twitter account announced that he has been released by the EFCC.
“I was arrested and detained @ the MMIA, Lagos this morning, January 12, 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 senior officers in Lagos & Abuja apologised to me for the error,” he tweeted.
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 to me for the error.OCCUPATIONAL HAZZARD abi?
— Doyin (@doyinokupe) January 12, 2023
