Court Acquits Femi Fani-Kayode of Medical Forgery Charges
A Lagos court has acquitted and discharged former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, of medical forgery charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The Special Offences Court, sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, delivered its judgment after Fani-Kayode’s legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Norrison Quakers, filed a “no case” submission. Justice Olubumni Abike-Fadipe ruled that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against the former minister, thereby clearing him of the alleged offences.
In her ruling, Justice Abike-Fadipe stated that the EFCC did not provide sufficient evidence to link Fani-Kayode to the alleged use of forged medical documents. She pointed out that the prosecution had failed to present key witnesses, including the defendant’s associates who supposedly received money from him and the lawyer who was said to have been instructed to submit the medical reports to the Federal High Court.
The judge further emphasized that extrajudicial statements presented by the prosecution could only be used to contradict the individual who made them while testifying. After reviewing the evidence, she concluded that the prosecution had not established enough grounds for the case to proceed, thus ruling in favor of Fani-Kayode.
The charges against Fani-Kayode stemmed from his alleged use of forged medical reports, which he presented before Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court in Lagos, where he was facing a separate N4.9 billion fraud charge. The EFCC accused him of submitting fraudulent documents in the court proceedings.
One of the charges read: “That you, Femi Fani-Kayode, on or about the 11th day of October, 2021 in Lagos, fraudulently used a false document titled: Medical Report on Olufemi Fani-Kayode…which document you purported to have been issued by Kubwa General Hospital.” Similar charges involved another forged medical document purportedly from the same hospital.
During the trial, Kubwa General Hospital’s management denied any connection with Fani-Kayode, with the hospital’s head of medical records testifying that no such medical report had been issued by their facility. Additionally, a second prosecution witness, Abidat Bukola, claimed to have received payments from Fani-Kayode to procure forged medical reports on his behalf, alleging that the former minister dictated the contents of the reports.
However, Fani-Kayode denied all allegations, and his legal team argued that the prosecution had failed to present a case strong enough to justify a trial.
After the ruling, Fani-Kayode spoke to journalists, expressing his relief and gratitude. “I have been in and out of court for the past 18 years, and today I feel truly free,” he said. The former minister also shared his joy at being finally acquitted after a prolonged legal battle.
