Supreme Court Affirms Seven-Year Prison Term for Senator Albert Bassey Akpan

Senator Albert Bassey Akpan, who represented Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial District in the 8th Senate, has been sentenced to seven years in prison over the misappropriation of funds belonging to the Akwa Ibom State Government.
The Supreme Court of Nigeria on Friday upheld his conviction as earlier delivered by the trial court and affirmed by the Court of Appeal in Abuja.

In addition to the prison term, Akpan was ordered to refund the sum of N204 million to the Akwa Ibom State Government as restitution.
The verdict was delivered by a five-member panel of the apex court led by Justice Stephen Jonah Adah. The court held that the decision of the Court of Appeal regarding the seven-year jail term was proper and in accordance with the law. It further restored the restitution order of N204,000,000, which had originally formed part of the trial court’s judgment but was set aside by the appellate court.
According to the court, the conviction and sentence imposed on June 23, 2023, remain valid. However, the decision of the lower court nullifying the restitution order did not follow due legal process and was consequently reversed, thereby reinstating the repayment directive.
CAPITAL POST recalls that the prosecution of Senator Akpan commenced in 2023 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), led by prosecution counsel Ekele Iheanacho, SAN.
Akpan, a former Commissioner for Finance under the administration of Godswill Akpabio, was arraigned before Justice Agatha Okeke of the Federal High Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, over allegations of receiving bribes in the form of 12 vehicles valued at N254 million.
Following investigations, the anti-graft agency filed a seven-count charge against him. After extensive legal proceedings between the prosecution and defense, the court initially sentenced him to 42 years’ imprisonment on December 1, 2022.
Dissatisfied with the judgment, Akpan appealed. A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, led by Justice Raphael Chikwe Agbo, upheld his conviction but modified aspects of the ruling, providing an option of fine. The matter eventually proceeded to the Supreme Court, which affirmed the conviction while restoring the restitution component.
Senator Akpan was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the platform that facilitated his election to the 8th Senate.
In 2023, his governorship ambition in Akwa Ibom State reportedly created political tension between him and his former political allies, particularly Akpabio, now Senate President. He subsequently defected to the Young Peoples Party (YPP) and contested as its governorship candidate.
During the campaign period, he was arrested and detained but later granted bail after spending several months in custody. However, by the time of his release, his campaign had lost momentum, and he was ultimately defeated by Pastor Umo Eno of the PDP in the governorship election.