The Supreme Court of Nigeria has affirmed the conviction and seven-year prison sentence of Senator Albert Bassey over a N240 million fraud case, bringing to a close a protracted legal battle.

In a unanimous judgment delivered on February 27, 2026, a five-member panel of the apex court upheld the earlier decisions of the trial court and the Court of Appeal, confirming Bassey’s conviction secured by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The court also restored an order directing him to refund N204 million to the Akwa Ibom State Government.

Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Stephen Jonah Adah ruled that while the conviction and sentence imposed on June 23, 2023, were valid, the Court of Appeal erred when it voided the restitution order earlier granted by the trial court.

“The conviction and sentencing imposed by the lower court are hereby affirmed,” Justice Adah held. “However, the order avoiding the restitution granted by the trial court did not follow the law. It is hereby nullified and the restitution of N204 million as ordered by the trial court is restored.”

From Commissioner to Convict

Bassey’s prosecution stemmed from his tenure as Commissioner for Finance in Akwa Ibom State. He was arraigned before Justice Agatha Okeke of the Federal High Court on a seven-count charge bordering on corruption and abuse of office.

The EFCC, led by prosecution counsel Ekele Iheanacho (SAN), accused him of receiving 12 luxury vehicles valued at N254 million as bribes while in office.

On December 1, 2022, the trial court found him guilty on all counts and sentenced him to seven years imprisonment on each count — totalling 42 years. The sentences, however, were to run concurrently.

Appeal and Final Verdict

Dissatisfied with the ruling, Bassey approached the Court of Appeal, where a three-member panel upheld his conviction but introduced an option of fine and set aside the restitution order.

The EFCC challenged aspects of that decision, leading to the final appeal before the Supreme Court.

With Friday’s judgment, the apex court not only affirmed the conviction and seven-year term but also reinstated the N204 million restitution order, effectively ending the legal contest.

Anti-Corruption Signal

Legal analysts say the ruling reinforces the judiciary’s stance against public sector corruption and strengthens accountability in public office.

The EFCC described the verdict as a major affirmation of its anti-corruption mandate and a victory for the rule of law.

With the conviction now conclusively upheld, Bassey is expected to serve his sentence while complying with the court-ordered repayment to the Akwa Ibom State Government.

The Federal High Court has struck out a suit challenging the alignment of the multi-billion-naira Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, ruling that the case lacked merit and disclosed no reasonable cause of action.

The suit, marked FHC/L/CS/1803/2024, was filed by Mrs. Stella Ifeoma Okengwu, Chief Executive Officer of Winhomes Global Services Limited. She had alleged that the highway project was diverted into a Winhomes residential development at Okun Ajah, Lagos, claiming the move threatened an investment valued at over $250 million and accusing the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, of wrongdoing.

However, documents filed before the court showed that Winhomes had already sold the disputed land to third parties, effectively relinquishing its legal interest in the property.

In its ruling on preliminary objections, the court held that Mrs. Okengwu and her company lacked locus standi to institute the action, having divested ownership of the land. The judge further ruled that the plaintiffs failed to establish a reasonable cause of action.

The court also noted that the core issues raised bordering on land use and alleged trespass, fall outside the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court under Section 251 of the 1999 Constitution, and are matters for state high courts.

With the suit struck out, the ruling clears a legal hurdle surrounding the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project, which the Federal Government describes as a key infrastructure initiative aimed at boosting connectivity and economic activity along Nigeria’s southern corridor.

A Nigerian court has ordered Oriental Energy Resources Limited to pay $43.51 million to twins Ameena and Zara Indimi following a long-running dividend disagreement involving their father, Muhammadu Indimi.

The ruling stems from a dispute in which the twin sisters alleged that their combined 10% shareholding in the oil company was reduced without their consent, effectively denying them access to dividends from a distribution pool estimated at about $435 million.

Court documents indicated that the share adjustment prevented the sisters from receiving their rightful earnings linked to the company’s offshore operations.

The decision, delivered by a Federal High Court, marked a significant development in the family business conflict, which had largely remained private until the high-value financial dispute became public.

While the precise breakdown of the $43.51 million award and the payment timeline were not disclosed, the judgment confirmed that the company owes the amount.

The case has drawn widespread attention in Nigeria’s business community, highlighting governance issues in privately owned firms where ownership structures and dividend arrangements are often not transparent.

Observers say the dispute could continue if an appeal is filed or if enforcement proceedings are pursued, though the ruling has already shifted the internal dynamics within the family-controlled enterprise.