News
JUST IN: EFCC To Remove Okupe From Watchlist

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has said it will remove the former Director-General of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, Dr. Doyin Okupe, from its watchlist following his arrest by the Department of State Security Service at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Thursday.
An impeccable source at the EFCC confirmed to our correspondent that Okupe had been on the EFCC watchlist for about six years since 2016.
“Dr. Okupe is one of the individuals, groups, or organizations that required close surveillance, for legal reasons. In his case, he has been on our watchlist since 2016.”
Confirming the report in an interview with our correspondent, while reacting to Okupe’s arrest by the DSS and his subsequent transfer to the EFFC, the anti-graft agency’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said the EFCC would take immediate action to remove the former presidential aide from its watchlist.
READ ALSO: Why Okupe Was Rearrested – DSS
Uwujaren said, “Concerning the interception of Doyin Okupe; the DSS, today, January 12, informed the Commission of the interception of Dr. Okupe, former presidential adviser, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
“The Service acted on a watchlist request issued on July 18, 2016, over six years before his recent conviction on money laundering charges by the Federal High Court, Abuja.
“The Commission was in the process of formally lifting the watch list before his interception, and will expedite action in this regard.”
The PUNCH reports that the DSS cited its cooperation with the EFCC as the reason for Okupe’s rearrest earlier today.
Responding to an inquiry by our correspondent, DSS spokesperson, Dr. Peter Afunanya, said, “Okupe was intercepted by the DSS at Terminal 1 of Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos this morning at the instance of the EFCC. He has long been handed over to the Commisson which requested for the action. Okupe was billed to fly to London via Virgin Atlantic.”
Recall that Okupe was December 19, 2022, sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment for breaching the Money Laundering Act.
According to the EFCC that engineered the arrest, Okupe was charged to court for receiving N702 million in illegal payment from public funds meant to procure arms to fight insurgency in 2019. He was convicted of the offence by the Federal High Court.
READ ALSO: Okupe Breaks Silence On His Arrest By DSS
One of the charges read, “That you, Dr Doyin Okupe, being the Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan from July 2012 to May 2015 and being the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, and a signatory to the bank account of Abrahams Telecoms Limited, on or October 3, 2014, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, directly took possession or control of the sum of N35million, transferred to the account of Abrahams Telecoms Ltd from the account of the Office of the National Security Adviser with the Central Bank of Nigeria, purporting to be for special services when you reasonably ought to have known that the said fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity.”
Justice Ojukwu, in a judgment, held that Okupe, also the former Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on media to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan was found guilty of contravening Sections 16(1)&(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.
News
Delta-billionaire Lawuru To Grace Ijaw Media Conference As Guest Of Honour

The President of Egbema Brotherhood, Alaowei Promise Lawuru, is expected to grace the forthcoming Ijaw Media Conference 2025, as a guest of honour.
The event is scheduled to hold on December 3rd, 2025, in Warri, Delta State.
The annual media conference organised by the Ijaw Publishers Forum with the theme ‘Safeguarding Niger Delta’s Natural Resources for Future Generations,’ is second edition of the series.
Lawuru, youthful politician and businessman’s willingness to appear as guest of honour was made known
when a delegation of the Central Working Committee led by Pastor Arex Akemotubo paid him a visit to inform him of the forthcoming event and his expected role.
READ ALSO:IPF Holds Annual Ijaw Media Conference December
In his presentation, Akemotubo explained that this year’s theme was chosen out of concern for the growing strain on the region’s land and waters.
The Publisher of WaffiTV stressed that the forum wants to strengthen public understanding, support honest reportage, and encourage leaders to protect what the Niger Delta holds for the next generation.
He addex that Lawuru’s history of service and steady involvement in community work made him a natural choice for the role.
READ ALSO:IPF Commends Tompolo’s Commitment To Security In Delta, Nigeria
Chief Lawuru welcomed the invitation and spoke warmly about the need for shared responsibility among stakeholders and groups such as the IPF.
He commended the forum for using the media to defend the region’s interests and promised full support for the conference.
Lawuru further urged other stakeholders across the Ijaw nation to lend their weight to efforts that safeguard the environment.
News
Senate Recommends Death Penalty For Kidnappers

The Senate has passed a resolution classifying kidnapping as an act of terrorism, stipulating that an amendment to the Terrorism Act be made to impose the maximum penalty of death.
The resolution was made during plenary on Wednesday.
Under the new law, according to the upper legislative arm, once a kidnapping conviction is established, the death penalty must be applied.
Nigeria suffers from a persistent security crisis fuelled by attacks and violence by “bandit” gangs that raid villages, kill people, and kidnap for ransom.
READ ALSO:Senate Uncovers $300bn Unaccounted Crude Oil Sales
In response to recent kidnappings and attacks by terrorists, President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday ordered a total security cordon over the forests in Kwara State.
Series Of Abductions
Bandits had struck the Isapa community of the Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, abducting 11 residents.
The attack came about two weeks after and 38 worshippers were abducted from a Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in the Eruku community of the state.
Terrorists also attacked St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools, Papiri, in Niger State, abducting more that 300 school children and staff in a resurgence of the mass kidnappings that have long harrowed Africa’s most populous country.
READ ALSO:Bill To Establish Federal Oil And Gas Hospital In Delta Scales Second Reading In Senate
In the same week, 24 schoolgirls were taken from the Government Comprehensive Girls Secondary School, Maga, Danko Wasagu Local Government Area in Kebbi State, but regained freedom on Tuesday.
At least 50 taken from St Mary’s Catholic school also managed to escape, but more than 265 children and teachers are still being held.
Nigeria’s high-profile mass kidnapping was that of the Chibok schoolgirls in 2014, when Boko Haram forced 276 girls from their dormitories in the North-East region.
More than a decade later, man of the Chibok girls are still missing.
News
FG Threatens To Seize Dana Air Assets

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has disclosed that the Federal Government may recover and sell the assets of Dana Air to refund passengers and travel agents whose funds remain trapped following the suspension of the airline’s operations.
The Minister disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday at the Ministry’s fourth quarter stakeholders’ engagement to enhance governance for effective service delivery in aviation with the theme: “leveraging public feedback to drive excellence in aviation services”.
According to him, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) will be directed to probe why funds trapped by the airline are yet to be refunded.
He revealed that the Authority suspended the operations of the airline as a matter of choice between safety and disaster.
READ ALSO:NCAA Petitions IGP Over KWAM 1’s Unruly Conduct In Abuja Airport
“For Dana, the problem is that it was a choice between safety and disaster. So we didn’t take the commercial thing as priority. The priority was safety, and we all looked at the damning reports that we had met on the table.
“It was a decision of the NCAA to suspend them, but I pushed them to say, look, these are the reports we are seeing on the table about safety record, about lack of standards that put the lives of Nigerians at risk. If they continue flying, I don’t know whether most of us will be here. Many of us would have been victims of one of those flights. God forbid.”
According to him, “I have asked Najomo to dig deep to find out how those passengers and agents will be refunded. He has to dig deep on that.
“One solution will also be that if that same individual or those entities are trying to come back to aviation under any guise, whether to go and register a new AOC or use any business within the aviation sector, they have to go and settle their debts first.
READ ALSO:NCAA Seeks K1 De Ultimate’s Arrest, Petitions AGF, IG
“We should look at their assets. There are assets that are still available. Let them sell their assets. Let’s cannibalize their revenue and pay people. Let’s find a way to go after their assets and get money to pay Nigerians who are owed.
“NCAA should do that because they can’t get away with it.”
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