A former member of the House of Representatives, Farouk Lawan, has been released from Kuje Custodial Centre in Abuja after completing his five-year jail term for bribery.
Lawan, who served as the chairman of the House ad-hoc committee investigating the multi-billion naira petrol subsidy fraud in 2012, was convicted in 2021 for accepting a $500,000 bribe from businessman Femi Otedola.
Recall that Lawan was sentenced to prison after being found guilty of soliciting a $3 million bribe from Otedola in exchange for removing Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited, Otedola’s former company, from a list of oil firms indicted in the subsidy scam. Video evidence that circulated at the time showed Lawan receiving wads of cash, which he was seen tucking into his traditional Babbanriga attire and underneath his cap.
After his release on Tuesday, Lawan expressed his gratitude in a statement.
How wrote: “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 further expressed appreciation to his family and friends who stood by him, adding, “I remain grateful and indebted to my family and friends who stood by me through this particularly trying phase of my life.”
Leadership Newspaper reports that Lawan was originally convicted on three counts of bribery and sentenced to seven years in prison by Justice Angela Otaluka of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Apo. However, in February 2022, the Court of Appeal discharged him on two of the three counts, reducing his sentence to five years. In January 2024, the Supreme Court upheld the lower court’s ruling, affirming his conviction on the remaining count.