Doyin Okupe escapes jail, pays N13m fine

Doyin Okupe, Director General, Peter Obi Campaign Organisation on Monday evening, paid N13 million for the 52-year jail term bagged for N240 million money laundering offence.

Recall that Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, had earlier on Monday in a judgment found Okupe guilty in 26 out of the 59 counts preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Justice Ojukwu had ordered that the 26 counts, which attracted 2-year jail-term each, would run concurrently, meaning, Okupe would only spend two years in prison.

The judge, however, gave an option of N500, 000 in each of the counts, amounting to N13 million, which must be paid before 4:30pm (the close of work) today.

She ordered that if Okupe failed to meet the option of fine within the time frame, he should be taken to Kuje Correctional Centre to serve his prison term.

However, a check at the court at about 6pm showed that Okupe, who is the Director General of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) of the Labour Party (LP) Presidential Candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, had paid the money.

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Former Governor of old Anambra, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, and former National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr. Idi Farouk, had also urged the court to temper justice with mercy in Okupe’s sentencing.

The judge had, earlier, stood down proceedings for Okupe to exercise his right under Section 310 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) to call witnesses to testify about his character, before the court could proceed to pronounce sentence on the convict.

The court, presided over by Justice Ojukwu, had convicted Okupe for breaching the Money Laundering Act.

The judge held that Okupe was found guilty of contravening Sections 16(1) and (2) of the Money Laundering Act, for accepting cash payments without going through a financial institution, in excess of the threshold allowed under the Act.

Okupe was said to have received N240 million in cash from the office of the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (retired).