Former member of the house of Representatives, Farouk Lawan, has been released from Kuje prison after serving his five-year jail term.
Lawan, who was jailed over bribery, left the Kuje Custodial Centre in Abuja, on Tuesday to warm embrace from family members.
As a member of the house of representatives, he chaired the house ad-hoc committee set up to probe alleged multi-billion naira petrol subsidy fraud in 2012.
He however ran into trouble in the course of investigating the subsidy saga and was convicted and sentenced to prison in 2021.
He was accused of accepting a $500,000 bribe from Femi Otedola, then chairman of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited, which landed him in jail.
Speaking shortly after his freedom, 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.”
He added, “My gratitude is deep, I’m alive and in good health and in 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.”
