January 12, (THEWILL) – The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has released former Director-General (DG) of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Doyin Okupe.
THEWILL earlier reported that Okupe was arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS), at the Muritala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, on Thursday morning
Spokesman of the DSS, Dr Peter Afunanya, who confirmed the arrest, said Okupe was arrested at the instance of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and handed over to them.
But in a tweet on his Twitter handle, Okupe said he was arrested in error and has been released.
He added that the Anti-graft agency also appologised for the action
“I was arrested and detained @ the MM int airport, Lagos this morning 12th Jan on my way to UK for medicals yrs of my passport being withheld by the FHC Abuja.
“I hv just left the efcc office where snr officers in lagos & Abuja apologised to me for the error. OCCUPATIONAL HAZZARD abi?” the tweet read.
However, the anti-graft agency in a statement issued by its Spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said Okupe was arrested based on a watch-list request issued on July 18, 2016, before his recent conviction on money laundering charges by the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Uwujaren said the EFCC released Okupe because the watch-list request had expired, adding that it was about to lift the watch-list request before the DSS acted.
The statement titled ‘Interception of Doyin Okupe’, read: “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.”
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