A former presidential aide, Dr Doyin Okupe, has regained his freedom from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Okupe, who was Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to former President Goodluck Jonathan, was picked up on Monday.
He confirmed his release on Wednesday, less than 48 hours after, as stipulated by law.
Taking to his official Twitter page, Okupe appreciated the anti-graft agency for treating him with “utmost courtesy”.
He said, “The EFCC released me on bail tonight within 48 hours as stipulated by law. I was treated with utmost courtesy. I feel proud and grateful.”
See tweet:
The Efcc released me on bail tonite within 48hrs as stipulated by law.I was treated wt utmost courtesy. I feel proud & grateful.
— Doyin (@doyinokupe) December 12, 2018
Okupe’s party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of orchestrating Okupe’s arrest as part of a clampdown on and intimidation of PDP chieftains ahead of the 2019 general elections.
“This arrest is part of the grand plot to escalate the clampdown on opposition leaders, in the attempt to cow and subjugate them as the elections draw nearer, a scheme the PDP had since alerted the nation about.
“The PDP invites Nigerians to note that the EFCC was unleashed on Dr. Okupe with fabricated charges, just because of his criticisms of the misrule of the Buhari administration, particularly, his last Wednesday’s demand to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare President Buhari as not validly nominated as a Presidential candidate for the 2019 elections.
“Since this comment, Dr. Okupe has been threatened, harassed and his home raided by officials of the EFCC last Saturday over claims of cyber stalking, which they could not substantiate, only for the commission to arrest and detain him on Monday.
“It is indeed unfortunate that the EFCC, under President Buhari, has been turned to a militant wing of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to hound, intimidate, harass and even extort money from opposition leaders and other Nigerians perceived to be opposed to Mr. President’s ill-fated re-election bid,” the party said in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan.
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