Ex-Rep, Farouk Lawan jailed seven years for bribery

A Federal Capital Territory High Court has sentenced a former member of the House of Representatives, Hon Farouk Lawan, to seven years imprisonment.

Lawan was jailed after he was found guilty of soliciting 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.

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

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

However, Justice Angella Otaluka convicted Lawan on three counts 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.