Femi Otedola versus Farouk Lawan

So many questions went through my mind as some horrible events unfold…is Nigeria in deep trouble? Is the country really broke? Can there be a solution to stop corruption in this nation? The question goes on and on ……..as you read this do let us know what went through your mind.

Farouk Lawan, who headed up a probe that uncovered a $6.8 billion fuel subsidy scam in Nigeria, is being questioned by police over allegations that he tried to secure bribes from a major oil tycoon to doctor his report.

 

Farouk Lawan chaired a parliamentary committee set up in January which found that corruption and bad management were rife in Nigeria’s fuel subsidy program, He was taken into custody for questioning by police on Thursday after oil tycoon Femi Otedola, the owner of Zenon Petroleum and Forte Oil, accused Lawan of demanding a $3 billion bribe to remove both companies’ names from a list of firms implicated in the scandal.

Otedola paid part of the bribe but made a secret video of the transaction in order to expose Lawan. Lawan – whose report implicated high-profile businessmen and recommended a “complete overhaul” of the board of Nigeria’s state oil company – denies demanding any bribes.
Nigeria finds $4billion in fuel

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Lawan’s interrogation come a month after he told the BBC that he had received death threats from individuals after uncovering the scandal in Africa’s biggest oil producer. Lawmakers have voted to strip Lawan of all of his parliamentary responsibilities, but many Nigerians question whether he was guilty of extortion or the victim of a campaign to undermine the findings of his report. 

Credits BBC