Operatives of the Department of State Services have arrested the immediate past Director-General of the Labour Party (LP) Presidential Campaign Council, Doyin Okupe.
The Network reported that Okupe was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Ikeja, Lagos, on his way to London, the United Kingdom.
The details of Okupe’s arrest are still sketchy but the Network reportedly gathered that it might not be unconnected with his recent conviction by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
One of Okupe’s lawyers, Tolu Babaleye, posted on Facebook that the DSS operatives demanded to see the court processes of the fine he paid on his money laundering case.
“The reason according to the 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 will this harassment stop? Who is after Dr. Okupe? As of today, the man has no case to answer, I hereby demand that the DSS should release my client immediately as this is a violation of his freedom of movement, right to liberty and dignity as a human person. This is unfair as the man’s health is fast failing,” he stated.
Okupe had resigned from his position as Director-General of the Labour Party (LP) Presidential Campaign Council, following the court judgement that convicted him for money laundering.
He announced his resignation in a letter addressed to Peter Obi, LP presidential candidate, and dated Dec. 20, 2022.
Okupe in his letter posted on his official Twitter handle stated: “It’s time to step aside. But I am with PO and the Obidients and the Presidential Campaigns till God gives us victory in Jesus’ Name”.
Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court convicted Okupe for breaching the Money Laundering Act in Abuja.
The Labour Party chieftain, was formerly a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, but was subsequently sentenced to two and a half years in prison.
However, the presiding judge, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, gave Okupe an option of N500,000 fine on each of the 26 count charges, totalling N13m for which he was found guilty.
Credit: THE NETWORK.
