By Rachel Okporu Fadoju

A former member of the House of Representatives, Farouk Lawan, has regained freedom from the Kuje prison after the completion of his five-year jail term.

Naija News reports the Supreme Court had in January affirmed the five-year jail term handed to Lawan by the Court of Appeal.

Lawan was convicted and sentenced to prison in 2021 for accepting a $500,000 bribe from businessman, Femi Otedola, Chairman of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd.

In a unanimous judgment, a five-member panel affirmed the 2022 judgment of the Court of Appeal, which upheld Lawan’s sentencing to five years in respect of only count three on the three-count charge on which he was tried at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

In the lead judgment prepared by Justice John Okoro but read by Justice Tijjani Abubakar, the apex court found that Lawan’s appeal was without merit and dismissed it.

A video shared online on Tuesday showed Lawan’s release from Kuje prison.