Former House of Representatives member Farouk Lawan has completed his jail time and was set free from the Kuje Correctional Centre Tuesday.
Mr. Lawan was sentenced to a five-year jail term in 2012 after he was found guilty of soliciting a $300,000 bribe from Femi Otedola, a Nigerian billionaire oil tycoon. Lawan was the chairman of the House of Representatives ad-hoc committee investigating fuel subsidy fraud in 2012.
“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 said in a statement he signed.
The former lawmaker thanked friends and family for their support in a “particularly trying phase of my life”.
“My gratitude is deep, 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,” he said.
“I remain grateful and indebted to my family and friends who stood by me through this particularly trying phase of my life.”
