Just In: Finally, Court Affirms Former Lawmaker Lawan’s Conviction, Reduces Jail Term
- A piece of news that would be termed as succour, the court in Abuja has reduced the jail term of a former lawmaker, Farouk Lawan
- The court delivering its judgement on Thursday convicted the former lawmaker on all the three counts preferred against him by the prosecution after nine years
- In addition, the court discharged and acquitted the former lawmaker on two of the offences he was earlier jailed for by the lower trial court in June last year
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has reduced to five years the sentence of former House of Representatives member Farouk Lawan.
Lawan was convicted by a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on June 22, 2021 on a three-count charge of soliciting bribe, agreeing to accept bribe and actually accepting $500,000 bribe from a businessman, Femi Otedola.
In a judgment by Justice Angela Otaluka, the High Court of the FCT, sentenced Lawan to seven years on count one; seven years on count two, and five years on count three, The Nation reports.
Source: Facebook
The judgement
But in a unanimous judgement on Thursday, February 24, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, led by the court’s President, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, quashed Lawan’s conviction on counts one and two.
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The Court's verdict
The court held that the prosecution failed to prove both counts relating to demanding for and agreeing to accept $300million bribe from Otedola.
It found that the prosecution was only able to prove the third count relating to his accepting bribe of $500,000.
Lawan acquitted
The court then acquitted Lawan on counts one and two (on which he was sentenced to seven years per count), but convicted him on count three (on which he was sentenced to five years.
The judgment was on an appeal by Lawan.
Malami withdraws cybercrime charge against Ohakim
Legit.ng previously reported that Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami has withdrawn the cybercrime charge brought against Ikedi Ohakim, a former governor of Imo, before a Federal High Court in Abuja.
The AGF later took over the case, and on Thursday, February 24, when it was called, a Sani Bagudu, Malami's lawyer, applied to withdraw the case.
Bagudu said the AGF wanted to study the file and decide what appropriate steps should be taken.
Since the application of Bagudu was not opposed by a lawyer to the defendant, Justice Taiwo Taiwo struck out the charge.
House of Reps move to arrest Emefiele thwarted as members oppose warrant
In another report, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, escaped being arrested by Joint Committee on Customs and & Excise, Banking and Currency on Tuesday, February 22, 2022, over his refusal to appear before it.
The House members clashed when the Chairman of the Committee on Customs and Excise, Leke Abejide had asked that a warrant of arrest be issued on the CBN governor for not answering summons by the Joint Committee.
Emefiele was meant to appear before the committee to explain the significance of the policy to Customs’ 2022 revenue target.
In adopting the motion, the reps asked the CBN to stop the policy immediately until it is able to work out its effectiveness including seaports, airports and border stations.
Source: Legit.ng
