Grace Omachoko
The Supreme Court has upheld the five-year jail term handed down to former House of Representatives member Farouk Lawan by the Court of Appeal.
Recalled that Lawan’s conviction in 2021 was based on his acceptance of a $500,000 bribe from businessman Femi Otedola, Chairman of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd.
In a unanimous judgment on Friday, a five-member panel affirmed the 2022 decision of the Court of Appeal, sustaining Lawan’s five-year sentence.
This pertained specifically to count three of the three-count charge he faced at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.
The lead judgment, prepared by Justice John Okoro but read on Friday by Justice Tijjani Abubakar, found Lawan’s appeal without merit.
The apex court dismissed the appeal, reinforcing the previous rulings on Lawan’s involvement in bribery and the ensuing legal consequences.