Former member of the House of Representatives, Farouk Lawan, has regained his freedom after completing a five-year jail term at Kuje Prison.
Lawan was convicted in 2021 for accepting a $500,000 bribe from businessman Femi Otedola, Chairman of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd.
In January 2024, the Supreme Court upheld the five-year sentence handed down by the Court of Appeal, affirming the ruling of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Lawan’s sentencing pertained to count three of the three-count charge brought against him, related to bribery.
A five-member panel of the Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision, rejected Lawan’s appeal, finding it without merit.
The lead judgment, written by Justice John Okoro and read by Justice Tijjani Abubakar, confirmed that the Court of Appeal’s 2022 judgment was valid and enforceable.
Lawan’s imprisonment stemmed from his involvement in a bribery scandal during his time in office, where he was caught on video accepting the bribe from Otedola, who had accused Lawan of demanding the payment to remove Zenon Petroleum from the list of companies allegedly involved in the fuel subsidy fraud.
On Tuesday, a video emerged showing Lawan’s release from Kuje Prison, marking the end of his five-year sentence.
