EFCC says Okupe was detained in error, tenders an apology.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Command session (EFCC) on Thursday apologized to Dr. Doyin Okupe for arresting and detaining him wrongly, according to a report by Peoples Gazette.

The former campaign DG to LP presidential candidate and spokesman to former President Goodluck Jonathan was arrested on Thursday, by operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) at the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos while waiting to board a flight to the United Kingdom for medical check-up.

He was subsequently handed over to operatives of the EFCC, which later released him, saying his arrest was in error.

Reacting to the incident on Twitter, Doyin Okupe wrote: “I was arrested & detained @ the MMIA, Lagos this morning, 12th Jan on my way to the UK for medicals; years after my passport had been withheld by the FHC Abuja,” Mr. Okupe wrote in a tweet at 12:41.p.m. Thursday afternoon.

“I just left the EFCC office where Snr Officers in Lagos & Abuja apologized to me for the error. OCCUPATIONAL HAZZARD abi?” he queried, seemingly ridiculing the security agencies.

Mr. Okupe’s lawyer, Tolu Babaleye, earlier disclosed his client was arrested to provide proof that he had indeed paid the fine for his conviction last month.

Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja sentenced Mr. Okupe to 2 years in jail with an option of an N500,000 fine, after he was found guilty of money laundering charges, last month.

Mr. Okupe took the option of a fine to avoid being sent to Kuje correctional facility.

In a Facebook post, Okupe's lawyer, Mr. Babaleye said that it was stunning that the matter, which was resolved after Mr. Okupe paid the fine, would suddenly become the reason for his detention and “harassment.”

Confirming Okupe's arrest, the spokesperson for the Department of State Services, DSS, Peter Afunanya said that Dr.Okupe was arrested on the directives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

In a statement he sent to Vanguard, Afunanya said: “Doyin Okupe was intercepted by the DSS at Terminal 1 of Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, this morning (Thursday) at the instance of the EFCC.

“He has long been handed over to the Commission, which requested for the action.

“Okupe was billed to fly to London via Virgin Atlantic,” the statement said.

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