Law
Abuja court sentences Farouk Lawan to 7 years in prison over $3m bribe
A Federal High Court sitting in Apo District, Abuja, has sentenced Farouk Lawan, former chairman of the federal house of representatives ad-hoc committee on fuel subsidy, to seven years imprisonment over the $3 million bribery charges preferred against him by the federal government.
Lawan was the chairman of the house of representatives ad hoc committee probing the multi-billion naira fuel subsidy fraud in 2012.
He was accused of demanding $3 million from Femi Otedola to remove Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited (Otedola’s company) from the list of oil companies allegedly involved in the fuel subsidy fraud in 2012.
He was arraigned on seven counts of bribery by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and was alleged to have collected $500,000 bribe from Otedola.
In his evidence, Otedola said the defendant had demanded $3 million from him with a threat to indict his company.
According to him, he proceeded to report the issue to the DSS and was given $500,000 in marked notes. Also, the DSS had planted a camera in Otedola’s house