The Supreme Court has upheld the seven-year prison sentence handed to former Akwa Ibom North-East Senator, Albert Bassey Akpan, bringing his protracted legal battle to a close.
In a unanimous judgment delivered Friday, a five-member panel of the apex court led by Justice Stephen Jonah Adah affirmed the conviction earlier secured at the trial court and sustained by the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
The court also reinstated the order directing Akpan to refund N204 million to the Akwa Ibom State Government, ruling that the appellate court erred when it set aside the restitution directive issued by the trial court.
According to the panel, while the lower courts were right in convicting and sentencing the former senator, the decision nullifying the restitution order did not align with the law. Consequently, the apex court restored the repayment order as part of its final judgment.
How the Case Unfolded
Akpan was prosecuted in 2023 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a seven-count charge bordering on financial misappropriation. The anti-graft agency accused him of receiving 12 vehicles valued at N254 million during his tenure as Commissioner of Finance under the administration of Godswill Akpabio.
The Federal High Court in Uyo initially sentenced him to 42 years imprisonment in December 2022. Although the Court of Appeal later reviewed aspects of the ruling, it upheld the conviction. The matter eventually reached the Supreme Court, which has now delivered a final and binding verdict.
A former stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Akpan defected to the Young Peoples Party (YPP) ahead of the 2023 governorship election in Akwa Ibom State following political disagreements with former allies.
His arrest and detention during the campaign season significantly affected his bid, and he ultimately lost the election to Umo Eno of the PDP.
With the Supreme Court’s ruling, the conviction, seven-year jail term, and N204 million restitution order now stand as the final chapter in the case.
Supreme Court of Nigeria Affirms 7-Year Jail Term for Albert Bassey Akpan
