ABUJA, Nigeria – The Supreme Court of Nigeria has brought a definitive end to the long-standing legal saga of Senator Albert Bassey, affirming his conviction and seven-year prison sentence for a multi-million naira bribery scandal.
In a unanimous judgment delivered on Friday, February 27, 2026, a five-man panel of the apex court, led by Justice Stephen Jonah Adah, dismissed the Senator’s appeal, ruling that the evidence against him was overwhelming and the lower courts’ findings were legally sound.
Crucially, the Supreme Court moved to correct a perceived “legal oversight” by the Court of Appeal. While the appellate court had previously upheld Bassey’s conviction, it had failed to sustain the order for him to refund the proceeds of his crime. Justice Adah’s ruling has now restored that order, mandating the Senator to restitute N204 million to the Akwa Ibom State Government.
The Road to Conviction
Senator Bassey’s legal troubles began with an investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The anti-graft agency proved that while serving as the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Finance and Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Direct Labour Coordinating Committee (IMDLCC), Bassey received 12 exotic vehicles valued at N254 million as bribes.
The vehicles, which included high-end brands like BMW, Range Rover, and Toyota Land Cruiser, were provided by oil magnate Olajide Omokore. The gifts were linked to the award of state contracts worth approximately N3 billion to Omokore’s companies.
Judicial Timeline
- December 1, 2022: Justice Agatha Okeke of the Federal High Court in Uyo convicted Bassey on all seven counts of money laundering and bribery. He was sentenced to seven years per count (to run concurrently).
- June 23, 2023: The Court of Appeal in Calabar upheld the conviction but controversially introduced an option of a fine and ignored the trial court’s restitution order.
- February 27, 2026: The Supreme Court nullified the “option of fine” and the removal of the restitution order, reinstating the full seven-year jail term and the N204 million refund.
”The order of this court is that the conviction and sentencing imposed by the lower court on the 23rd day of June 2023 is affirmed,” Justice Adah stated. “However, the order avoiding the restitution given by the trial court did not follow the law. It is hereby revised and restored.”
With this final verdict, the former lawmaker, who also represented Akwa Ibom North-East in the 9th Senate, must now complete his custodial sentence without the possibility of further
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