Supreme Court Upholds Farouk Lawan’s 5-year Jail Term

The Supreme Court has upheld the five-year jail term imposed on Farouk Lawan, a former member of the House of Representatives, affirming the judgment of the Court of Appeal. Lawan was convicted and sentenced in 2021 for accepting a $500,000 bribe from the chairman of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd,Femi Otedola.

In a unanimous decision yesterday, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court agreed with the 2022 judgment of the Court of Appeal, which had affirmed Lawan’s five-year sentence on count three of the three counts brought against him at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Justice John Okoro, who prepared the lead judgment, had it delivered by Justice Tijjani Abubakar. The apex court found Lawan’s appeal to be without merit and dismissed it accordingly.

A Federal Capital Territory High Court had sentenced Lawan to seven years imprisonment for receiving 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, held that Lawan demanded $3m and received $500,000 from Femi Otedola in 2012 to remove Otedola’s oil company, Zenon Oil and Gas, from the list of firms indicted for fraud in the fuel subsidy regime.

She also held that Lawan was guilty of all three counts of corruption and bribery.

Not satisfied, Lawan approached the appellate court where his jail term was reduced from seven to five years.

Lawan was at the apex court urging the court to set aside the judgments of the lower court.

Reading the lead judgment, Justice Tijjani Abubakar upheld the decision of the appeal court and dismissed the appeal.In his remarks, Governor Idris showered encomiums on the SSAP-SDGs, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, for delivering the laudable project in Kebbi State and President Bola Tinubu for his unwavering commitment to improving the health sector, adding that the project would help in reducing child and maternal mortality as well as improving maternal health within the state and, by extension, the neighbouring Benin Republic.

Idris, while expressing his gratitude and commendation to Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, noted that the hospital will cater to the teeming population in the area, which has hitherto been underserved.

This, he said, is in consonance with the people-focused disposition of President Tinubu’s administration.

Also speaking, the member representing Bagudo/Suru Federal Constituency, where the project was sited, stated that the hospital is one of the numerous projects executed by OSSAP-SDGs in the area and expressed appreciation to President Tinubu and OSSAP-SDGs for the benevolence.

In her remarks, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, stated that the hospital was built and equipped to international standards.

She added that like others built across the country, the facility is fully equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment.

Supreme Court Upholds Farouk Lawan’s 5-Year Sentence In $500,000 Bribery Case

The Supreme Court yesterday upheld the five-year jail term imposed on Farouk Lawan, a former member of the House of Representatives, affirming the judgment of the Court of Appeal.

Lawan was convicted and sentenced in 2021 for accepting a $500,000 bribe from chairman of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd, Femi Otedola.

In a unanimous decision, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court agreed with the 2022 judgment of the Court of Appeal, which had affirmed Lawan’s five-year sentence on count three of the three counts brought against him at the High Court of the FCT.

Justice John Okoro, who prepared the lead judgment, had it delivered by Justice Tijjani Abubakar. The apex court found Lawan’s appeal to be without merit and dismissed it accordingly.

A Federal Capital Territory High Court had sentenced Lawan to seven years imprisonment for receiving 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, held that Lawan demanded $3m and received $500,000 from Femi Otedola in 2012 to remove Otedola’s oil company, Zenon Oil and Gas, from the list of firms indicted for fraud in the fuel subsidy regime.

She also held that Lawan was guilty of all three counts of corruption and bribery.

Not satisfied, Lawan approached the appellate court where his jail term was reduced from seven to five years.

Lawan was at the apex court urging the court to set aside the judgments of the lower court.

Reading the lead judgment, Justice Tijjani Abubakar upheld the decision of the appeal court and dismissed the appeal.