The former Director-General of the Labour Party's Presidential Campaign Council, Doyin Okupe, was detained by the Department of State Services (DSS) on Thursday morning. His attorney, Tolu Babaleye, informed the public of his detention.
Babaleye claims that Okupe was detained by law enforcement officers at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Ikeja, Lagos State, as he was en route to London for medical care.
Okupe, however, claimed in a tweet that he had been freed from the Economic and Financial Crime's custody. Okupe added that agency staff members regretted the "mistake."
He tweeted, “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 apologised to me for the error. OCCUPATIONAL HAZZARD abi?”(sic)
Moreso, our correspondent confirmed that the anti-graft agency released the politician.
Weeks ago, a Federal High Court in Abuja convicted Okupe, a former Senior Special Adviser on Public Affairs to President Goodluck Jonathan, over the diversion of arms funds from the Office of the National Security Adviser.
Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu held that the prosecution made out a case of money laundering against Okupe and awarded the total sum of N13m in fines against him.