By Abiola Olawale
A former member of the House of Representatives Farouk Lawan has broken his silence hours after regaining freedom.
Lawan finished his after five-year jail term on Tuesday.
He served his jail term at the Kuje Correctional facility in Abuja after being convicted for asking and taking a $300,000 bribe from businessman Femi Otedola.
In a press statement, Lawan appreciated his friends and family for their support during what he described as a “trying phase of my life”.
He said: “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.
“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.
“I remain grateful and indebted to my family and friends who stood by me through this particularly trying phase of my life.”
It would be recalled that Lawan, a former chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Fuel Subsidy, bagged the jail term for seeking a bribe from Otedola while probing the multi-billion naira fuel subsidy fraud in 2012.
In 2021, the Court of Appeal in Abuja sentenced him to a five-year jail term and discharged him on two out of the three counts on the corruption charge brought against him by the Federal Government.
He was also ordered to refund $500.000 to the Federal Government.Lawan appealed the verdict at the Supreme Court.
However, in its judgment in January 2024, the apex court upheld the verdict.
