After payment of N13 million fine slammed on him by a Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, Doyin Okupe, a former Senior Special Assistant to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, said ‘God is not man.’
Okupe was found guilty of receiving over N200 million cash from a former National Security Adviser, retired Col. Sambo Dasuki.
Delivering judgment, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu in the trial court held that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, successfully established its case against Okupe, that evidence before it established that he had in the discharge of his official duties, accepted cash payments that were above the statutory threshold, without recourse to a financial institution.
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The EFCC had alleged that Okupe received funds from the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, which he could not account for.
He was convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment on counts 34 to 59.
The charges are centered on accusations of receiving various sums ranging from N10 million in different occasions from 2012 to 2015 from ONSA when he was senior special assistant on public affairs to former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The court, however, gave the defendant an option of N500,000 fine on each of the counts.
He was therefore sentenced to two years imprisonment with an option of N500,000 fine on each of the 26 count charges for which he was found guilty.
The Justice said he had up to 4.30 pm to pay the fine option totalling N13m on all the charges he was found guilty of or be sent to the Kuje Correctional Centre.
Shortly after his conviction, Okupe’s counsel, Francis Oronsaye, pleaded with the court to tamper justice with mercy because the defendant was a first-time offender, a family man who is also advanced in age and having health challenges that he is currently treating in Nigeria and outside the country.
Punch reports that Okupe succeeded in paying his fine before the deadline and was allowed to go home.
“Okupe has paid. They returned with the bank papers around 4.25 p.m. The court processed it, and everybody signed, including the EFCC lawyer.”a source said.
Shortly after his release, Okupe tweeted “God is not man. The enemies have tried in so many ways but kept on failing. Victory is of God.”
