PDP kicks as EFCC holds Okupe over ONSA funds

THERE were indications last night that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) may apply for court order to detain Dr. Doyin Okupe, a former Senior Special Assistant to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, for two weeks.

But there was pressure last night on the commission to allow Okupe to continue to enjoy administrative bail, which was granted him since June 22, 2016.

Okupe is being investigated by the EFCC for alleged N162 million illicit payments to him and his companies by a former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd) and Chanchaga Local Government Area in Niger State.

According to findings, Okupe personally reported to the anti-graft agency on Monday for interrogation after a botched attempt to arrest him last Saturday.

It was learnt that the ex-presidential spokesman has been undergoing interrogation on his outstanding case in preparation for his formal arraignment in court.

A top source, who spoke in confidence, said: “We have detained Okupe in line with his pending case with EFCC. In fairness, Okupe placed a call to the commission on Monday and personally reported for interrogation.

“We have treated him with courtesy. But the EFCC may apply for a court order to detain him within a reasonable period of about two weeks before arraigning him in court. If he is able to complete the ongoing round of quizzing, he might be free before Friday.

“What we are trying to do is to detain him for interaction within the limits permitted by the law and in line with the protection of his fundamental human rights.”

The allegations against Okupe include: collection of illicit payments  from the office of the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki; payment of N50 million to Okupe by ONSA without record or accountability; payment of N35.5million  Abraham Telecoms Limited linked to Okupe by ONSA through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and that one of his companies, Romic Soil Fix International Limited, received N76.5m (in tranches of N63 million and N13.5 million from Chanchaga Local Government council of Niger State for unknown reasons.

But Okupe said the funds collected from ONSA followed a presidential directive by Jonathan.

He had said: “The initial N50 million was approved by the President to be paid to me from his security vote. N10 million was to furnish my rented living apartment and another N10 million for my office. The balance N30 million was approved as take-off grant.

“The N10m I received from the ONSA monthly was to run my office, pay salaries of staffs, including overheads, pay expenses for our numerous press conferences, pay for publications in newspapers, magazines, local and foreign, television programmes, bulletins and media consultants, who assist and facilitate our work. I had about 23 staff, 11 were graduates out of which five were masters’ degrees holders.

“The second N50 million was approved again by Mr. President when I reported to him that the monthly allowance had been cut from N10 million to N5 million and that I was no longer in a position to keep running a one hour NTA network programme called INSIGHT, which was aired 9-10am every Friday.

“We paid NTA about N1.2 million monthly for airtime. Two presenters were paid N600, 000 monthly.”

PDP accuses EFCC of witch-hunt

THE People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of with-hunt in the arrest and detention of one of its chieftains, Dr. Doyin Okupe.

The party demanded the immediate release of Okupe, who is being detained by the EFCC a few days after operatives of the commission visited his Lagos residence.

A statement yesterday by the PDP spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, described Dr. Okupe’s arrest and detention as an act of intimidation and harassment by the Buhari administration.

It accused the administration of attempts to browbeat the opposition and dissenting voices ahead of the 2019 general elections.

The statement said: “This arrest is part of the grand plot to escalate the clampdown on opposition leaders, in the attempt to cow and subjugate them as the elections draw nearer, a scheme the PDP had since alerted the nation about.

“The PDP invites Nigerians to note that the EFCC was unleashed on Dr. Okupe with fabricated charges, just because of his criticisms of the misrule of the Buhari administration, particularly, his last Wednesday’s demand on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare President Buhari as not validly nominated as a presidential candidate for the 2019 elections.

“Since this comment, Dr. Okupe has been threatened, harassed and his home raided by officials of the EFCC last Saturday over claims of cyber stalking, which they could not substantiate, only for the commission to arrest and detain him on Monday.

“It is indeed unfortunate that the EFCC, under President Buhari, has been turned to a militant wing of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to hound, intimidate, harass and even extort money from opposition leaders and other Nigerians perceived to be opposed to Mr. President’s ill-fated re-election bid.”

The PDP challenged the President to demonstrate his much-touted integrity by allowing an open investigation of his associates and close relatives, who were mentioned in alleged looting of public resources.