The Supreme Court on Friday, February 27, 2026, affirmed the conviction and seven-year jail sentence imposed on Senator Albert Bassey over a N240 million fraud case, bringing his prolonged legal battle to a final close.
In a unanimous decision delivered by Justice Stephen Jonah Adah, the five-member panel upheld the earlier judgments of the trial court and the Court of Appeal, while restoring the order directing the restitution of N204 million to Akwa Ibom State.
The apex court, after reviewing the appeal filed by the appellant, ruled that there was no basis to disturb the findings of the lower courts. Justice Adah declared, “The order of this court is that the conviction and sentencing imposed by the lower court on the 23 day of June 2023 on the appellant is hereby affirmed but the order of the lower court avoiding the order of restitution given by the trial court did not follow the law, so it is revised and the right order is to nullify same and thereby the restitution of sum of N204 million made by the trial court is restored.”
Bassey’s ordeal began following his prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The anti-graft agency, through its prosecution counsel, Ekele Iheanacho SAN, arraigned him before Justice Agatha Okeke of the Federal High Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
He was charged with receiving bribes in the form of 12 vehicles valued at N254 million while serving as Commissioner for Finance in Akwa Ibom State. The trial court found him guilty on all seven counts and sentenced him to seven years imprisonment on each count, amounting to a cumulative 42 years, on December 1, 2022.
Dissatisfied with the judgment, the defendant approached the Court of Appeal. The three-man panel led by Justice Rapheal Chikwe Agbo upheld his conviction and sentence but introduced an option of fine.
However, the matter eventually reached the Supreme Court, which struck out aspects of the appellate court’s judgment and reinstated the restitution order earlier made by the trial court.
