BREAKING: EFCC to remove Okupe from watchlist
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has announced that it will remove the former chief executive of the Labor Party's Presidential Campaign Council, Dr. Doyin Okupe, from its watch list following his arrest by the Department of State Security at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Thursday.
An impeccable source at the EFCC confirmed to our correspondent that Okupe has been on the EFCC's watch list for about six years since 2016.
“Dr. Okupe is one of the individuals, groups or organizations that required close monitoring, for legal reasons. In his case, he has been on our watch list since 2016.”
Confirming the report in an interview with our correspondent, while reacting to Okupe's arrest by the DSS and his subsequent transfer to the EFFC, anti-corruption agency spokesman Wilson Uwujaren , said the EFCC would take immediate action to remove the former presidential aide from its watch list.
Uwujaren said: "Regarding the interception of Doyin Okupe; DSS today January 12 informed the Commission of the interception of Dr Okupe, former Presidential Advisor, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos .
"The Service responded to a watchlist request issued on July 18, 2016, more than six years before his recent money laundering conviction by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
"The Commission was in the process of formally lifting the watchlist prior to its interception, and will expedite action in this regard."
The PUNCH reports that the DSS cited its cooperation with the EFCC as the reason for Okupe's re-arrest earlier today.
Responding to a query from our correspondent, DSS spokesperson Dr Peter Afunanya said: "Okupe was intercepted by DSS at Terminal 1 of Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos this morning at the EFCC's request. It has long been handed over to the Commission who requested action. Okupe was charged to travel to London via Virgin Atlantic."
The PUNCH on December 19, 2022, reported that Okupe was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for violating the Money Laundering Act.
According to the EFCC which orchestrated the arrest, Okupe has been indicted for receiving N702 million in illegal payments from state funds to procure weapons to fight the insurgency in 2019. He was found guilty of the offense by the Federal High Court.< /p>
One of the charges read: "That you, Dr. Doyin Okupe, as Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan from July 2012 to May 2015 and as Managing Director/Chief Executive, and signatory of the bank account of Abrahams Telecoms Limited on 3 October 2014 or in Abuja, in the jurisdiction of this honorable court, has directly taken possession or control of the sum of N35 million, transferred to the account of Abrahams Telecoms Ltd from of the account of the Office of National Security Adviser to the Central Bank of Nigeria, claiming to be for special services when you should reasonably have known that the said fund was part of the proceeds of unlawful activity.”
Judge Ojukwu, in a judgment, ruled that Okupe, also the former Senior Special Assistant (SSA) for the media to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, was found guilty of breaching Sections 16 (1) and (2) of the Money Laundering Act. , for having accepted cash payments without going through a financial institution, beyond the threshold authorized by law.
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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has announced that it will remove the former chief executive of the Labor Party's Presidential Campaign Council, Dr. Doyin Okupe, from its watch list following his arrest by the Department of State Security at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Thursday.
An impeccable source at the EFCC confirmed to our correspondent that Okupe has been on the EFCC's watch list for about six years since 2016.
“Dr. Okupe is one of the individuals, groups or organizations that required close monitoring, for legal reasons. In his case, he has been on our watch list since 2016.”
Confirming the report in an interview with our correspondent, while reacting to Okupe's arrest by the DSS and his subsequent transfer to the EFFC, anti-corruption agency spokesman Wilson Uwujaren , said the EFCC would take immediate action to remove the former presidential aide from its watch list.
Uwujaren said: "Regarding the interception of Doyin Okupe; DSS today January 12 informed the Commission of the interception of Dr Okupe, former Presidential Advisor, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos .
"The Service responded to a watchlist request issued on July 18, 2016, more than six years before his recent money laundering conviction by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
"The Commission was in the process of formally lifting the watchlist prior to its interception, and will expedite action in this regard."
The PUNCH reports that the DSS cited its cooperation with the EFCC as the reason for Okupe's re-arrest earlier today.
Responding to a query from our correspondent, DSS spokesperson Dr Peter Afunanya said: "Okupe was intercepted by DSS at Terminal 1 of Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos this morning at the EFCC's request. It has long been handed over to the Commission who requested action. Okupe was charged to travel to London via Virgin Atlantic."
The PUNCH on December 19, 2022, reported that Okupe was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for violating the Money Laundering Act.
According to the EFCC which orchestrated the arrest, Okupe has been indicted for receiving N702 million in illegal payments from state funds to procure weapons to fight the insurgency in 2019. He was found guilty of the offense by the Federal High Court.< /p>
One of the charges read: "That you, Dr. Doyin Okupe, as Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan from July 2012 to May 2015 and as Managing Director/Chief Executive, and signatory of the bank account of Abrahams Telecoms Limited on 3 October 2014 or in Abuja, in the jurisdiction of this honorable court, has directly taken possession or control of the sum of N35 million, transferred to the account of Abrahams Telecoms Ltd from of the account of the Office of National Security Adviser to the Central Bank of Nigeria, claiming to be for special services when you should reasonably have known that the said fund was part of the proceeds of unlawful activity.”
Judge Ojukwu, in a judgment, ruled that Okupe, also the former Senior Special Assistant (SSA) for the media to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, was found guilty of breaching Sections 16 (1) and (2) of the Money Laundering Act. , for having accepted cash payments without going through a financial institution, beyond the threshold authorized by law.
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