Former Nigerian lawmaker Farouk Lawan has been released from Kuje Prison after serving a five-year sentence for accepting a $500,000 bribe from billionaire businessman Femi Otedola. The bribe was connected to Lawan’s efforts to remove Otedola’s company, Zenon Petroleum, from a list of firms implicated in a fuel subsidy fraud during a 2012 investigation.
Lawan, once praised for his anti-corruption stance, chaired the House of Representatives committee investigating subsidy fraud. However, he was caught in a sting operation orchestrated by the State Security Service (SSS), which filmed him accepting the bribe. Although he claimed he took the money as evidence, he failed to report it to authorities.
Initially sentenced to seven years, Lawan’s term was reduced to five years by the Court of Appeal, which upheld his conviction on one of three charges. The Supreme Court later confirmed the ruling.
Upon his release, Lawan expressed gratitude for his health and the support of his family and friends, saying, “Alhamdulillah, today marks a new chapter in my life.”
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