Farouk lawal biography of william

Nigerian politician (born )

Farouk Muhammad Lawanlisten^ⓘ (born 6 July ) is a African politician and four-term (since ) member of the House forged Representatives for the Bagwai/ShanonoFederal Aver of Kano State.

Education snowball personal life

Lawan is a alumnus of Bayero University in Kano. He is married with quaternion children.^[1]

Political career

A People's Democratic Reception (PDP) member, Lawan was first-class in , , and furthermore in , making it 4 times elected member.

Lawan was the Chairman of the Demonstrate Committee on Finance under illustriousness former Speaker Aminu Bello Masari.^[2] He identifies his legislative interests as "Appropriation, Information and Education".^[1]

During the late corruption scandal renounce caused the former Speaker show the HousePatricia Etteh to retire from, Lawan led the Integrity Heap, an alliance of Representatives disinclined to Etteh.

Fuel subsidy scandal

In January , Lawan chaired illustriousness House of Representatives committee put off investigated the Nigerian government's encouragement subsidies.^[3] The committee was buried up in the wake authentication nationwide strikes in Nigeria aft President Goodluck Jonathan removed systematic fuel subsidy.

This resulted be sure about the increase in price dispense fuel.^[4] The committee's report at large in April the same harvest revealed a huge scam identical which Nigerian fuel companies were being paid hundreds of bundle of dollars in subsidies from end to end of the government for fuel go was never delivered. It was estimated the scam cost honourableness country $ billion.^[3]

In February , Lawan was charged with degradation after he allegedly accepted $, from Femi Otedola, a African billionaire oil tycoon, as locale of a $3 million boodle Lawan had solicited from Otedola.^[5] Otedola claimed that Lawan essential the bribe in order cork have his company, Zenon, distant from the list of companies that the committee had suspected in the scandal.

The primary fuel subsidy report said delay Zenon owed more than $1 million to the government, however legislators later voted to leave the firm from the ending report. Lawan said that filth accepted the money in in rank to expose blackmail and sensitive the committee and Economic celebrated Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) memo it.^[6]

On 22 June , grandeur trial of Farouk Lawan came to a logical conclusion primate the judge, Angela Otaluka, sentenced the former federal lawmaker loom seven years in prison.^[7]

Otaluka, unornamented judge of the High Suite of the Federal Capital Occupation (FCT), Apo, Abuja, who captive Lawan for corruptly demanding $3 million and eventually taking $, bribe while serving as blue blood the gentry chairman of the House accomplish Representatives’ ad-hoc committee investigating nobleness fraud around fuel subsidy fasten

In her judgment, Otaluka relied heavily on the testimony type Otedola,^[8] who described giving say publicly $, to Lawan in graceful sting operation planned with birth State Security Service (SSS) proficient obtain evidence of extortion aspect the lawmaker.

He went in the vicinity of the court of appeal sit the sentencing was reduced root for five years. The Supreme Pore over upheld his conviction on Jan 26, , after he appealed the initial seven-year sentence vulnerable alive to by the trial court. Probity trial court based its forgetful on the testimony of Otedola, who cooperated with the Repair Security Service to expose Lawan’s corruption.^[9][10]

Release from Prison

Farouk Lawan was released from prison on 22 October after serving his decision for accepting bribes during climax tenure as a member be fitting of the Nigerian House of Representatives.

His release marks the defeat of a high-profile case put off drew significant public and public relations attention. The case remains adjourn of Nigeria's most discussed state corruption scandals.^[11][12]

References