In a significant legal triumph, former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has been acquitted and discharged of all charges related to medical document forgery. The ruling, delivered by Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, dealt a heavy blow to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which had pursued the case against him.
The EFCC had accused Fani-Kayode of forging medical reports to delay his trial in an ongoing ₦4.9 billion fraud case at the Federal High Court, Lagos. However, after carefully reviewing the prosecution’s arguments, Justice Abike-Fadipe upheld the no-case submission filed by his defense counsel, Norrison Quakers (SAN), ruling that the evidence presented was insufficient to establish any wrongdoing.
Delivering her verdict, the judge dismissed the allegations, stating that the prosecution failed to link Fani-Kayode to the alleged forgery.
> “I have carefully studied the evidence of the prosecution witnesses, and I cannot find where the defendant committed the offences being alleged,” she said.
She further emphasized that the extrajudicial statements presented by the EFCC could not stand as evidence against the former minister, as they did not meet the threshold required to compel him to enter a defense.
> “The prosecution has failed to establish a prima facie case which would require the defendant to open his defence,” Justice Abike-Fadipe ruled.
With this, the court struck out the case, acquitting and discharging Fani-Kayode of all charges.
Fani-Kayode Celebrates 18-Year Legal Battle
Reacting to his legal victory, an elated Fani-Kayode expressed deep relief, revealing that his prolonged legal ordeal had spanned nearly two decades.
> “I am overjoyed. This is a battle I have fought for 18 years, and today, justice has prevailed,” he told journalists outside the courtroom.
The EFCC had filed a 12-count charge against Fani-Kayode, accusing him of fraudulently using a forged medical report to evade trial. One of the charges stated that on October 11, 2021, he submitted a falsified medical report purportedly issued by Kubwa General Hospital, Abuja, before the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division.
However, during the trial, the hospital’s management flatly denied ever admitting Fani-Kayode as a patient or issuing any medical documents in his name. The head of medical records, Bassey Amah, took the stand to reinforce this, stating under oath that the medical report in question did not originate from their facility.
Despite this testimony, the court ultimately ruled that the EFCC failed to establish a direct link between Fani-Kayode and the alleged forgery, rendering the case unsustainable.
With this acquittal, Fani-Kayode walks free from the forgery charges, but his legal battles are far from over. The ₦4.9 billion fraud case against him remains active, leaving questions about his next move and the EFCC’s resolve in pursuing other allegations.
For now, however, the former minister basks in his courtroom victory, while the EFCC faces scrutiny over yet another failed prosecution in its high-profile corruption cases.
PIONEER NEWS 