by Hauwa Gambo

Lawyers to the (former?) chairman of the House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy, Farouk Lawan, may be heading to court on Monday.

(Read updates on FemiVSFarouk bribe scandal HERE)

As at 7pm yesterday, the legislator was still detailed along with the clerk of his committee, after they reported at the Police Headquarters in Abuja on Thursday – which means he might spend the weekend in custody. In that case, he will be heading to court to demand an enforcement of fundamental human rights, his lawyer Samuel Ologunorise told a Punch correspondent.

“I am not aware that he has been released. The lead counsel (Mr. Isreal Olorundare, SAN) is with him as I am speaking to you,” he said.  “Unfortunately,  today is weekend. If he   is not released today, by Monday we will go to court to enforce his rights.”

There are however indications that Lawan, who has been suspended from his positions in the lower legislative chambers, may be arraigned on Monday. However sources reveal that both detainees have been very cooperative to the police and “might have volunteered information that could lead investigators to other oil marketers that also paid bribes to the committee members.”

Frank Mba, a spokesman for the police confirmed Lawan’s continued detention. “Lawan is still undergoing interrogation and he has not been released, but we are making efforts to ensure speedy conclusion of investigation and to ensure that justice is served to the satisfaction of everyone,” he stated.

Lawan is being interrogated by a team of the Police Special Task Force led by Ali Amodu, a commissioner of police – over the $620,000 bribes alleged to have been extorted from oil chief, Femi Otedola.

The paper also reports the ongoing search for the alleged bribes:

Meanwhile, an early morning search of the residence of Lawan by investigators has led to the recovery of a huge sum of dollars.

Sources told our correspondent that detectives, who searched Lawan and Emenalo’s houses in Abuja recovered the money believed to be part of bribes they received from Otedola.

“Lawan refused to surrender the dollars to investigators, so a search of his house was carried out this morning (Friday) and a huge amount of dollars was found at Lawan and Emenalo’s houses. That is the exhibit needed to build a watertight case and now we have it, things are falling in place,” a source stated.

(Read, The Gospel according to Saint Farouk HERE)