Court finds Doyin Okupe guilty of money laundering
Doyin Okupe, the director-general of the Peter Obi presidential campaign, has been convicted by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja for money laundering.
Mr Okupe had been charged to court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) since 2019 on a 59-count charge of alleged money laundering and diversion of funds to the tune of N702 million naira.
The former Senior Special Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan was arraigned alongside two companies – Value Trust Investment Ltd and Abrahams Telecoms Ltd.
Delivering judgement, the court found Mr Okupe guilty of accepting N200 million cash bribe from a former National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki, said to have been funds earmarked for the purchase of weapons to combat the Boko Haram insurgency.
Although Mr Okupe said the money was intended to pay employees and do damage control for former president Goodluck Jonathan, whom he worked for as a senior special adviser, Justice Ijeoma Ojuwku maintained the funds did not go through the proper channel.
In her ruling, Ms Ojukwu said that the Money Laundering Act states that no person or organisation shall receive any sum above N5 million and N10 million respectively without it going through a financial institution.
She added that “there is no evidence that the money passed through a financial institution”.
Mr Okupe served as the director-General of the Peter Obi presidential campaign council until he was expelled earlier this month for allegedly embezzling party funds.
Mr Okupe wasn’t found guilty by the Judge on counts 1 to 33 on the basis that the EFCC failed to establish the offence of Money Laundering and criminal breach of trust and corruption against the NSA.
He was, however, found guilty and convicted of counts 34 to 59 for receiving sums of money to the tune of N10 million on multiple occasions between 2012 and 2015 when he was serving in the government.
Following the pronouncement of the verdict, Mr Okupe’s lawyer, Francis Oronsaye, pleaded with the judge for lighter sentences, citing that the Ogun-born politician is a first time offender and on health related grounds.
We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.
More from Peoples Gazette
States
Independence: NBA urges Nigerians to expect better future
The NBA said that ordinary Nigerians should be deriving benefit from the subsidy removal rather than hardship.
Agriculture
FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology
The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices
Politics
Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku
“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”
Africa
UN unveils $78 million lifeline for Africa’s Great Green Wall
The new investment comes as desertification, drought and climate change increasingly threaten agricultural livelihoods across the region.
World
UN cash crisis must not hurt developing countries, says Nigeria
Nigeria has warned that the United Nations liquidity crisis must not disproportionately undermine human rights assistance to developing and conflict-affected countries.
Diaspora
ICE nabs Chimaobim Igbojekwe, campaign canvasser for Democrat Janelle Stelson, for illegal stay, public nudity
Mr Igbojekwe was caught in public with his pants off, fully exposing himself, in a residential neighbourhood near a park with residents, including children.
Economy
World Bank upgrades Nigeria’s growth outlook amid Tinubu’s reforms, urges job creation, poverty alleviation
It warned, however, that growth remained too weak to generate sufficient productive employment and significantly reduce poverty.
Showbiz
Actor Femi Adebayo unveils entertainment hub in Lagos
Nollywood actor and filmmaker, Femi Adebayo, on Tuesday unveiled an entertainment hub, a film and media production facility in Oregun, Lagos.
Politics
Tinubu’s door-to-door movement suspends campaign over plane crash
The President Bola Tinubu Door-to-Door Movement has suspended its campaign activities for one week following the killing of military operatives in an aircraft crash.
