Farouk Lawan Released After Serving Five Years for $3 Million Bribery Case.
Farouk Lawan, a former member of the House of Representatives, was released from Kuje prison today, October 22, after serving a five-year sentence.In 2021, Lawan was found guilty and given a prison sentence for taking a $500,000 bribe from Femi Otedola during a sting operation.At the time, videos showed Lawancramming wads of cash inside his clothing and beneath his cap had gone viral on social media.Lawan was charged with requesting $3 million from Femi Otedola in order to have Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited, Otedola's former business, taken off the list of oil firms suspected of participating in the 2012 petrol subsidy scam.The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) arrested him and charged him with seven counts of bribery for obtaining a $500,000 bribe from Otedola.Three counts were eventually added to the charge.Lawan was found guilty on all three counts and given a seven-year prison sentence by Justice Angela Otaluka of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Apo on June 22, 2021.After then, Lawan went to the Court of Appeal, which declared the former lawmaker not guilty on two of the three counts and fired him.Additionally, the appellate court shortened his seven-year jail sentence to five years.However, the court upheld his conviction for the lone remaining offence, for which the lower court imposed a five-year prison sentence.Lawan then appealed to the Supreme Court to have his conviction overturned, but the court rejected his request.
