the Supreme Court upheld the conviction and five-year prison sentence of former Chairman of the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy probe, Mr. Farouk Lawan. Lawan, who has been in prison custody since 2021, challenged his conviction on grounds that he was not allowed to make a plea for leniency before the trial court.
The Supreme Court, led by Justice Tijjani Abubakar and Justice Inyang Okoro, dismissed Lawan's appeal, stating that the failure of the trial court to call for allocution did not invalidate the sentence. This decision affirms the verdict of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, which sentenced Lawan to seven years in prison in June 2021.
Justice Angela Otaluka, the trial judge, found Lawan guilty of demanding a $3 million bribe from Chief Femi Otedola, the Chairman of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd. The bribe was allegedly sought to clear Otedola's company during the fuel subsidy probe initiated by the House of Representatives in 2012. Lawan was convicted of breaching the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act.
While the trial court initially imposed a seven-year sentence on Lawan, the Court of Appeal, in its February 2022 judgment, reduced the sentence to five years. The appellate court discharged Lawan of two charges but upheld the charge that implicated him in receiving $500,000 from Otedola.
Despite Lawan's appeal, both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court found that the evidence presented by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) was sufficient to establish a criminal case against him. Lawan's conviction remains on the count that attracts a maximum of five years in prison.
This decision by the Supreme Court concludes a legal battle that began with Lawan's conviction in 2021, providing clarity on his fate in the high-profile bribery scandal.
The Supreme Court, led by Justice Tijjani Abubakar and Justice Inyang Okoro, dismissed Lawan's appeal, stating that the failure of the trial court to call for allocution did not invalidate the sentence. This decision affirms the verdict of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, which sentenced Lawan to seven years in prison in June 2021.
Justice Angela Otaluka, the trial judge, found Lawan guilty of demanding a $3 million bribe from Chief Femi Otedola, the Chairman of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd. The bribe was allegedly sought to clear Otedola's company during the fuel subsidy probe initiated by the House of Representatives in 2012. Lawan was convicted of breaching the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act.
While the trial court initially imposed a seven-year sentence on Lawan, the Court of Appeal, in its February 2022 judgment, reduced the sentence to five years. The appellate court discharged Lawan of two charges but upheld the charge that implicated him in receiving $500,000 from Otedola.
Despite Lawan's appeal, both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court found that the evidence presented by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) was sufficient to establish a criminal case against him. Lawan's conviction remains on the count that attracts a maximum of five years in prison.
This decision by the Supreme Court concludes a legal battle that began with Lawan's conviction in 2021, providing clarity on his fate in the high-profile bribery scandal.
