Former House of Representatives member Farouk Lawan has regained freedom after serving a five-year prison sentence for soliciting and receiving a bribe from businessman Femi Otedola.
Lawan was freed from the Kuje Correctional Facility in Abuja on Tuesday, marking the beginning of a new chapter in his life
He expressed gratitude to Allah and appreciation for the support of friends and family during his incarceration, saying,
“I’m alive, in good health, and high spirits to be with my family, friends, and associates. I don’t take that for granted” .
Lawan’s conviction stemmed from his role as chairman of the House ad-hoc committee investigating the fuel subsidy fraud in 2012.
He was found guilty of demanding $3 million and receiving $500,000 from Otedola to remove Zenon Oil and Gas, Otedola’s company, from a list of firms indicted for subsidy fraud .
The Court of Appeal in Abuja initially sentenced him to seven years in prison, but reduced the sentence to five years in February 2022, acquitting him on two of the three counts brought against him.
The Supreme Court upheld this decision in January 2024, dismissing Lawan’s final appeal
