Farouk Lawan, a former member of the House of Representatives, has been released from the Kuje Custodial Centre in Abuja.
His release was announced in a statement he signed on Tuesday, 22 October 2024.
In the statement, Lawan expressed his gratitude, saying, “Alhamdulillah Alhamdulillah Alhamdulillah. Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in my life as I step out of Kuje Custodial Centre, with a heart full of gratitude to Allah SWT for seeing me through this trial.”
He added, “I’m alive and in good health and high spirits to be with my family, friends and associates. I don’t take that for granted.”
Lawan, who previously chaired the House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy Regime, was initially arraigned in 2013 for allegedly demanding a $3 million bribe from billionaire businessman Femi Otedola.
The bribe was purportedly intended to influence the removal of Otedola’s oil company from a list of firms implicated in the 2012 fuel subsidy scam.
In his appeal, Lawan successfully argued that the prosecution failed to prove he demanded the bribe.
He was ultimately convicted on three counts related to the case, receiving a total sentence of five years, with a previous sentence of seven years reduced by the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
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