Erstwhile director-general of the Labour Party (LP), Presidential campaign Council, Dr Doyin Okupe has been arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), his lawyer said on Thursday.
Okupe, was reportedly arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos on his way out of the country on a medical check-up abroad.
His lawyer, Tolu Babaleye who confirmed the development said the arrest was a violation of his client’s fundamental human rights and called on the DSS to release Okupe immediately without further harassment because the matter has been resolved.
He wrote: “The information reaching me now is that Dr. Doyin Okupe has been arrested at Lagos Airport by the DSS on his way to London.
“The reason according to the source is that he wax asked to produce evidence that the Federal High Court Abuja has freed him from the case in which he wax 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. Doyin Okupe? As at today, the man has no case to answer anywhere, I hereby demand that the DSS should release my Client immediately as ti’s is a violation of his freedom of movement, right to liberty and dignity of human person.
“This is unfair as the man health is fast failing!”
GWG.ng reports that Dr Okupe was convicted of violation of the provisions of money laundering act by receiving cash from the office of the National Security Adviser above the stipulated threshold, though he was not indicted of any specific act of laundering money.
The presiding judge, Ijeoma Ojukwu, however, gave him the option of paying a fine of N500,000 for each of the 26 counts he was found guilty, making a total of N13 million instead of going to jail.
Okupe is understood to have paid the fine and avoided jail term.
Following the judgment he resigned his position as director-general of the Labour Party presidential campaign council.
He, however, rejoined the campaign on January 6, 2023 campaigning with the team members for Peter Obi.
