The Supreme Court of Nigeria on Friday February 27, 2026 delivered a decisive ruling in the protracted corruption case involving former Senator Albert Bassey, affirming his conviction, upholding his jail sentence and restoring a multi-million-naira restitution order originally made by the trial court.
UyoInfomedia gathered that, a five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Stephen Jonah Adah, unanimously dismissed Bassey’s appeal against his conviction for corruption and money laundering, ruling that both the lower court and the Court of Appeal were right to uphold the verdict against him.
The judgment not only confirmed the seven-year prison sentence imposed on Bassey but also restored the ₦204 million restitution order that the Court of Appeal had omitted, a directive requiring him to refund the state government of Akwa Ibom for monies tied to the offence.
Bassey’s legal troubles date back to December 2022, when a Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, found him guilty on seven counts of corruption and money laundering brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The prosecution had alleged that while serving as Commissioner for Finance in Akwa Ibom, Bassey received valuable vehicles and other bribes from contractors awarded state contracts, in a clear violation of anti-graft laws.
Justice Agatha Okeke, who presided over the trial, convicted Bassey on all counts and sentenced him to seven years in prison on each count, amounting to a cumulative term of 42 years.
The trial court also ordered restitution of the bribe value, which later became a point of contention at the appeals stage.
Bassey challenged the conviction and sentence at the Court of Appeal, but a three-judge panel upheld most aspects of the trial judgment, although it modified certain punitive measures.
He then took the matter to the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn both his conviction and parts of the sentencing.
In its ruling on Friday, the Supreme Court rejected these arguments, agreeing with earlier findings that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and that the trial court acted within the law in sentencing and restitution.
The apex court specifically noted that the omission of the restitution order at the appellate level was a legal error and reinstated the original order.
Legal analysts say the judgment sends a strong deterrent message about accountability in public office, reinforcing judicial support for anti-corruption efforts in Nigeria.
As the full implications of Friday’s ruling settle in, Bassey remains set to begin his prison term and comply with the restitution order, unless further legal avenues such as a review application are pursued by his legal team.
