Dokpesi arrested at Abuja airport

Raymond Dokpesi, founder of DAAR Communications, owners of African Independent Television (AIT), has been arrested at Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja.

TheCable understands that the media mogul was arrested around 4pm when he returned to the country after seeking medical treatment in Dubai.

AIT confirmed the arrest, saying no reason was given for it.

Breaking: Chief Raymond Dokpesi has been arrested at Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport on return from medical treatment /operation at the American Hospital Dubai. Reasons have not been given yet for the arrest. pic.twitter.com/I1QS2O06Wd

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— AIT (@AIT_Online) March 22, 2019

The station later quoted an official of the Nigerian Immigration Service as saying that there was an order from above for Dokpesi to be arrested since he is on the security watch-list of the federal government.

Dokpesi is standing trial for allegedly receiving N2.1 billion from the office of the national security adviser (NSA) for the media campaign of the PDP in the buildup to the 2015 elections.

He has dismissed the allegations of abuse of security funds under the last government, accusing the current administration of witch-hunting members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“Having said so, I must assure you that there is nothing like the much flaunted $2.1 billion dollars arms deal, it does not exist. It’s a figment of the imagination of the current administration in an attempt to disseminate, misinform, destroy the very root of the PDP and you must stand, each and every one of you must stand for the Peoples Democratic Party,” Dokpesi had said at a programme in Abuja.

But his name featured on a list of alleged looters released by Lai Mohammed, minister of information.