Court Clears Fani-Kayode Of Forgery Charges, Says He Has No Case To Answer

A Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, has cleared former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode of all charges related to medical forgery filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The EFCC had accused Fani-Kayode of presenting fake medical reports to a Federal High Court in Lagos, where he was already facing trial for an alleged N4.9 billion fraud.

The prosecution filed 12 charges, claiming the ex-minister used forged documents to justify his absence from court proceedings.

According to the charges, he allegedly submitted a false medical report from Kubwa General Hospital, Abuja, dated October 11, 2021, as well as another forged document dated March 23, 2021.

The EFCC argued that these actions violated Section 369 of the Lagos State Criminal Law.

During the trial, the hospital denied ever treating Fani-Kayode, and a senior staff member, Bassey Amah, testified that the hospital never issued the medical reports in question.

Another witness, Abidat Bukola, claimed that the former minister paid her a total of N820,000 in separate transactions to obtain four fake medical reports. She also alleged that Fani-Kayode dictated what should be written in the documents.

Fani-Kayode denied all allegations and, in December 2024, filed a no-case submission, arguing that the prosecution had failed to prove its claims.

Delivering her ruling on Tuesday, February 4, 2024,  Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe agreed with the defense, stating that the EFCC did not provide sufficient evidence linking Fani-Kayode to the forgery.

The judge noted that the prosecution failed to present witnesses who directly handled the forged documents or received payments from the defendant.

“The extrajudicial statements which remain, and which are intended as evidence, cannot be used for any purpose other than to contradict the person who made the statement when he is in the witness box.

“I have carefully studied the evidence of the prosecution witnesses and I cannot find where the defendant committed the offences being alleged.

“The prosecution has failed to establish a prima facie case which would require the defendant to open  his defence,” the judge ruled, ultimately discharging and acquitting Fani-Kayode.

Speaking after the verdict, Femi Fani-Kayode expressed joy and relief, saying he had spent 18 years fighting legal battles and was glad to finally be free.

KanyiDaily recalls that the EFCC had revealed how the sum of N1.5billion was fraudulently transferred from the Ministry of External Affairs account to Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited account allegedly belonging to Femi Fani-Kayode.