Farouk Lawan, a former House of Representatives member, has regained his freedom on Tuesday after serving a five-year jail term for bribery.
Lawan's release has been confirmed by Samson Duza, spokesperson for the Nigerian Correctional Service, FCT Command, on Tuesday.
According to Duza: “Lawan was released this morning after completing his jail term."
Upon the release, Lawan said: "Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in my life as I step out of Kuje Custodial Centre, with a heart full of gratitude to Allah SWT for seeing me through this trial,” he said in a statement he signed.
The former lawmaker expressed gratitude to his friends and family for their support in a “particularly trying phase of my life”.
“My gratitude is deep, I’m alive and in good health and high spirits to be with my family, friends, and associates. I don’t take that for granted,” Lawan added.
In 2012, Lawan was the chairman of the House of Representatives ad hoc committee probing the multi-billion naira petrol subsidy fraud.
Later on, He was accused of demanding $3 million from Femi Otedola to remove Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited (Otedola’s former company) from the list of oil companies allegedly involved in the petrol subsidy fraud in 2012.
Furthermore, Lawan, who was arraigned on seven counts of bribery by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), was alleged to have collected a $500,000 bribe from Otedola.
According to reports, Lawan was convicted in 2021 for accepting a $500,000 bribe from Femi Otedola, Chairman of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd., to remove his company from a list of firms implicated in a fuel subsidy fraud.
However, the charge was later amended to three counts.
It was also reported that on June 21, 2021, Justice Angela Otaluka, of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Apo, convicted the accused on all three counts and sentenced him to seven years’ imprisonment.
Later on the Supreme Court upheld his five-year prison sentence in January, dismissing his appeal.
However, after delivering judgement in the appeal filed by the convict, the court discharged and acquitted the former lawmaker on two out of the three counts on which he was convicted.
During the 2022 ruling by the Court of Appeal confirmed his conviction on count three of the three-count charge against him, the court decided it.
Justice Tijjani Abubakar's initial verdict stated that Lawan's appeal was without merit.
