Dollar-stuffing Lawan jailed 7 years over Otedola bribery scandal

A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court on Tuesday sentenced a former member of the House of Representatives, Hon Farouk Lawan, to seven years imprisonment.

Lawan represented the Bagwai/Shanono Federal Constituency of Kano State, on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He was a four-term lawmaker and Chairman of the House Committee on Finance under the former Speaker Aminu Bello Masari, now governor of Katsina State.

The erstwhile legislator was jailed after being found guilty of collecting bribe from billionaire businessman, Femi Otedola, during the probe of fuel subsidy in 2012.

He had chaired the ad-hoc committee which probed fuel subsidy under ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.

READ: Grant immunity to treasury looters – Agbakoba tells Federal Government

READ: Petrol subsidy gone forever, NNPC

Otedola had accused Lawan of making a demand of $3 million for Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited, his company, to be delisted from companies being probed.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC), indicted him of collecting $500,000 bribe from Otedola but the lawmaker denied it.

However, Justice Angella Otaluka of the FCT High Court convicted Lawan on a three-count charge on Tuesday.

He was sentenced to seven years for counts one and two while he was sentenced to five years for count three. The sentences are to run concurrently.

Lawan was also asked to return the $500,000 collected from Otedola to the Federal Government.