Former House member, Farouk Lawan, goes to jail for seven years over $3m bribe

From Yemi Oyeyemi, Abuja

Justice Angela Otaluka of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sitting at Apo, Abuja, Tuesday found a former member of the House of Representatives, Farouk Lawan, guilty of demanding bribe of $3million and receiving $500,000 from an oil magnate, Mr. Femi Otedola

The judge found the former Representative guilty in the three-count charge brought against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

Lawan, who was the chairman of House Adhoc Committee on Petroleum Subsidy Regime in 2012, was dragged before Justice Angela Otaluka of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sitting at Apo, Abuja, by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), on behalf of the Federal Government.

The former lawmaker, a four-term member of the House of Representatives, who represented Bagwai/Shanono Federal Constituency of Kano State between 1999 and 2015, in the case marked FCT/HR/CR/76/13, was alleged to have demanded the sum of $3million for himself from the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited, Femi Otedola.

He was alleged to have collected $620,000 out of the amount with a view to removing Otedola’s company, Zenon Oil and Gas, from the list of firms indicted by the ad hoc committee for allegedly abusing the fuel subsidy regime in 2012.

Justice Otaluka sentenced the convict to seven years in prison on Counts one and two of the charge and five years on count three.

The sentence is, however, to run concurrently.

The Judge also ordered the convict to make restitution of the sum of $500,000 he collected from Otedola to the coffers of the Federal Government.