Arms deal: Okupe pays N13m conviction fine for N240m fraud

A Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday convicted a former Special Adviser to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Doyin Okupe, 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.

Okupe is currently the Director-General of the Labour Party’s Presidential Campaign Council.

In 2019, he was charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on a 59-count charge bordering on money laundering and diversion of funds to the tune of N240m from the then NSA, Sambo Dasuki.

Those arraigned with him are two companies: Value Trust Investment Ltd and Abrahams Telecoms Ltd.

Justice Ojukwu convicted Okupe in 26 out of the 59-count charges preferred against him by the EFCC.

The judge further slammed a sentence of two years for each of the 26 counts to run concurrently or an option of N500,000 fine for each.

The judge further ordered that where the fine was not paid by 4.30pm yesterday, Okupe would be sent to jail.

The News Agency of Nigeria reported that its check at the court at about 6pm showed that Okupe had paid the fine.

The judge said the decision was arrived at after listening to the plea for leniency by eminent Nigerians including former governor of Anambra State, Chukwuemeka Ezeife and for DG of the National Orientation Agency, Alhaji Idi Farouk, wife of Okupe, Omolara and his son.

She noted that although Okupe argued that he was not aware that receiving payments of N10m to the tune of N240m beyond the threshold of the financial institution was an offence, ignorance of the law is no excuse.

She further observed that he was a first offender, had no previous criminal record, adding “he never wasted the time and resources of the court.”