The Supreme Court has upheld the conviction and prison sentence of Senator Albert Bassey over a N240 million fraud case.
In a judgment delivered on Friday, February 27, 2026, a five-member panel of the apex court affirmed the earlier decisions of the trial court and the Court of Appeal, which found the former lawmaker guilty and sentenced him to seven years in prison. The court also ordered him to refund N204 million to the Akwa Ibom State Government.
The lead judgment was read by Justice Stephen Jonah Adah. After reviewing the appeal filed by Bassey, the court ruled that there was no reason to overturn the conviction.
“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,” he said.
The ruling means that, in addition to serving his jail term, Bassey must repay the N204 million as earlier directed by the trial court.
Bassey, who was the 2023 governorship candidate under the platform of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), was first prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before the Federal High Court in Uyo.
The anti-graft agency charged him with receiving 12 vehicles valued at N254 million while serving as Commissioner for Finance in Akwa Ibom State. In December 2022, the trial court convicted him on seven counts and sentenced him to seven years on each count.
He later challenged the judgment at the Court of Appeal, where the conviction was upheld, though parts of the ruling were reviewed. Dissatisfied, he proceeded to the Supreme Court, which has now confirmed the conviction and restored the order for restitution.
With this final decision, the legal battle has come to an end, and the sentence earlier passed on the former senator remains in force.
