Farouk Lawan
A former member of the House of Representatives, Farouk Lawan, has regained freedom after serving five years in prison for asking and collecting a $300,000 bribe from businessman Femi Otedola. He was released from the Kuje Correctional facility in Abuja on Tuesday.
“Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in my life as I step out of Kuje Custodial Centre, with a heart full of gratitude to Allah SWT for seeing me through this trial,” he said in a statement he signed.
The former lawmaker thanked friends and family for their support in a “particularly trying phase of my life”. My gratitude is deep, I’m alive and in good health and high spirits to be with my family, friends, and associates. I don’t take that for granted,” he said.
“I remain grateful and indebted to my family and friends who stood by me through this particularly trying phase of my life.” The former lawmaker was sentenced to five years imprisonment for demanding and accepting a $500,000 bribe from businessman, Femi Otedola, Chairman, Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited.
Lawan’s conviction was upheld by the Supreme Court on January 26, 2024. He was found guilty of soliciting a $3 million bribe from Femi Otedola, a Nigerian billionaire oil tycoon while serving as chairman of the House of Representatives ad-hoc committee investigating fuel subsidy fraud in 2012.
He had filed an appeal seeking to set aside the February 24, 2022, judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which sentenced him to a five-year jail term and discharged him on two out of the three counts on the corruption charge brought against him by the Federal Government. In the lead judgment prepared by Justice John Okoro but read by Justice Tijjani Abubakar, the apex court held that Lawan’s appeal was without merit and dismissed it.
