Doyin Okupe sentenced to two years in prison over money laundering

A federal high court in Abuja has sentenced Doyin Okupe, director-general of the Peter Obi presidential campaign council, to two years imprisonment for breaching the money laundering act.

In a judgment delivered on Monday, Okupe was found guilty of 26 out of a 59-count charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Ijeoma Ojukwu, the presiding judge, sentenced Okupe to two years in prison on each of the counts.

However, the sentence is to run concurrently.

Additionally, the judge said the convict is at liberty to pay a N500,000 fine on each of the counts — totalling N13 million.

The EFCC had arraigned Okupe,  in 2019 on a 59-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering and diversion of funds to the tune of N702 million.

He was arraigned alongside two companies – Value Trust Investment Ltd and Abrahams Telecoms Ltd.

Okupe was said to have received cash from the office of the national security adviser (NSA) while Sambo Dasuki, the NSA at the time, was in office.

Ojukwu found Okupe guilty of contravening sections 16(1)&(2) of the Money Laundering Act by accepting cash payments in excess of the threshold allowed under the Act, without going through a financial institution.

The judge said the NSA is not a financial institution and although the former president allegedly authorised the funds, he did not specify a cash payment in violation of the Money Laundering Act.

“I find the first defendant, Dr. Doyin Okupe, guilty on counts 34, 35, 36, to 59,” the court ruled.

The judge, however, found the defendants not guilty on counts one to 33 on the grounds that the prosecution failed to establish the charge of money laundering, criminal breach of trust, and corruption against the NSA.

Prior to the sentencing, the matter was stood down until 1:45pm to allow Okupe to call witnesses to testify about his character, as enshrined under section 310 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

The sentencing was subsequently delivered after the process was concluded.

Testifying shortly after the conviction in accordance with section 310 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, Omolola — Okupe’s wife — and Adesunkanmi — his son — begged the court to temper justice with mercy.