Following reports of Doyin Okupe, a former presidential adviser, being detained by the Department of State Services (DSS) at Terminal 1 of Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos on Thursday morning, more information has continued to come to light.
The Service allegedly took action in response to a “watch-list request issued on July 18th, 2016, nearly six years earlier,” according to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Dr. Peter Afunanya, the DSS’s spokesperson, had earlier intimated in a statement that its agents had detained Okupe “at the request of the EFCC.”
He says that Doyin Okupe has been turned over to the Commission that made the request for the action for quite some time. London was to be Okupe’s destination.
Meanwhile, the EFCC Spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren in a statement to Daily Independent said, “The DSS, today, January 12th, 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 18th, 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 is the immediate past Director General of the leading opposition presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi.
He voluntarily resigned as Obi’s Campaign DG following his recent conviction by the Federal High Court, Abuja on money laundering charges.
