Ex-Nigerian lawmaker, Farouk Lawan, regains freedom after 5-year sentence for bribery

Farouk Lawan, a former Kano State Federal lawmaker and member of the House of Representatives, on Tuesday regained freedom after serving a five-year prison term for bribery.

Lawan’s troubles began in 2012 when, as chairman of the ad-hoc committee investigating fuel subsidy fraud, he solicited and accepted bribes from Nigerian billionaire oil tycoon Femi Otedola.

The Supreme Court upheld his conviction on January 26, 2024, dismissing his appeal against the five-year jail term. This verdict concluded a nearly decade-long legal battle stemming from the fuel subsidy scandal that shook Nigeria’s oil industry.

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Lawan’s initial sentence was seven years, handed down by the Federal Capital Territory High Court in 2021. However, an appeal reduced this to five years. Despite this reduction, Lawan continued to fight the conviction, but the Supreme Court, led by Justice Tijani Abubakar, found no merit in his arguments.

Key evidence securing Lawan’s conviction included video recordings of the bribe transaction. His role in uncovering corruption made his own culpability particularly noteworthy.

The prosecution successfully demonstrated that Lawan succumbed to the very corruption he was tasked with investigating.

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