Farouk Lawan bags seven years imprisonment over $3m bribe

An Abuja High Court has sentenced a former chairman of the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy, Farouk Lawan to seven years imprisonment over the $3 million bribery charges preferred against him by the Federal Government.

Lawan, as the chairman of the House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee, was involved in the probing of the multi-billion naira fuel subsidy fraud in 2012.

There were allegations and video evidence that he took a $500,000 bribe 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.

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.

The charge was later amended to three counts.

Otedola, while giving evidence as the fifth prosecution witness, said the defendant had demanded $3 million and threatened to indict his oil company.

According to the businessman, he reported the matter to the Department of State Services (DSS) and was given $500,000 in marked notes.

He also said the DSS planted a camera in his house to catch Lawan red-handed.