In a significant legal development, the Supreme Court has rejected an appeal brought by former House of Representatives member, Farouk Lawan, challenging the rulings of lower courts that sentenced him to imprisonment. The Federal Capital Territory High Court had initially sentenced Lawan to seven years in prison on charges of accepting a $500,000 bribe while serving as the chairman of the House’s ad-hoc committee investigating the fuel subsidy fraud in 2012.
The trial judge, Angela Otaluka, found Lawan guilty of demanding $3 million and accepting $500,000 from Femi Otedola in 2012. This alleged bribe was purportedly in exchange for Lawan removing Otedola’s oil company, Zenon Oil and Gas, from the list of firms implicated in fraud related to the fuel subsidy regime. The judge convicted Lawan on all three counts of corruption and bribery.
Unsatisfied with the initial verdict, Lawan took his case to the appellate court, where his sentence was reduced from seven to five years. Seeking further legal recourse, Lawan brought the matter to the Supreme Court, urging it to set aside the judgments of the lower courts.
Justice Tijani Abubakar, delivering the lead judgment at the apex court, upheld the decision of the appeal court and subsequently dismissed Lawan’s appeal. This legal development solidifies the convictions against Farouk Lawan for bribery charges related to his role in the fuel subsidy fraud investigation.
