Doyin Okupe, the immediate past Director General of the Labour Party, has reportedly been arrested by the Department of State Service, DSS, at Lagos’ Muritala Mohammed Airport.
On Thursday, one of his lawyers, Tolu Babaleye, revealed this on Facebook.
Okupe, he said, was on his way to London.
He claimed that the DSS asked him to provide court processes in which he paid the fine option following his conviction for money laundering by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The lawyer demanded that his client be released immediately.
“The reason according to source is that he was asked to produce evidence that the Federal High Court Abuja has freed him from the case in which he was convicted and paid fine to the knowledge of the whole world and was allowed to go home.”
When contacted on the report of Okupe’s arrest, Dr Peter Afunanya, DSS Public Relations Officer confirmed that the former Director-General of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council was intercepted by the DSS at Terminal 1 of Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos.
In a statement signed by the PRO of the agency, Peter Afunanya (Phd, Fsi), Okupe was arrested by DSS operatives on the request of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The statement 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 Commisson which requested for the action. Okupe was billed to fly to London via Virgin Atlantic.”
The agency’s statement is coming shortly after Okupe’s lawyer, Tolu Babaleye raised alarm on social media over the arrest.
As at the time of filing this report, the immediate past Director-General (DG) of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Doyin Okupe, on Thursday disclosed thay he has left the office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Lagos.
The Ogun-born politician fumed at the development. According to him, EFCC official later apologised for embarrassing him.
He wrote on his Twitter handle,
“I was arrested & 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 appologised to me for the error. OCCUPATIONAL HAZZARD abi?
– Doyin (@doyinokupe) January 12, 2023
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