Court Dismisses EFCC’s Case
The Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, has acquitted former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, of medical forgery charges filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
While delivering the ruling, Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe stated that the prosecution failed to prove a prima facie case. She upheld the no-case submission filed by Fani-Kayode’s counsel, Norrison Quakers (SAN), and ruled that the evidence did not link him to the alleged offence.
Why the EFCC’s Case Collapsed
The judge pointed out that the prosecution did not present key witnesses. These included the defendant’s associates who allegedly received money and the lawyer who supposedly submitted the medical reports.
“I have reviewed the evidence of the prosecution witnesses and found no proof that the defendant committed the alleged offences,” she said. “Since the prosecution failed to establish a case, the defendant does not need to open his defence.”
With that, the court dismissed the case and freed Fani-Kayode.
Fani-Kayode Celebrates Acquittal
Speaking after the verdict, Fani-Kayode expressed his relief. “I have been in and out of court for 18 years. Today, I am overjoyed to be free at last,” he said.
EFCC’s Allegations and Charges
The EFCC had charged Fani-Kayode with 12 counts of forgery, accusing him of submitting falsified medical reports in an ongoing ₦4.9 billion fraud case at the Federal High Court in Lagos.
One of the charges read:
“That you, Femi Fani-Kayode, on October 11, 2021, in Lagos, fraudulently used a false document titled: ‘Medical Report on Olufemi Fani-Kayode,’ purportedly issued by Kubwa General Hospital, before the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division.”
Hospital Denies Issuing Reports
During the trial, Kubwa General Hospital, Abuja, stated that Fani-Kayode was never a patient there. The hospital’s head of medical records, Bassey Amah, testified that the documents presented in court were fake.
Another witness, Abidat Bukola, claimed that Fani-Kayode paid her ₦820,000 to obtain four forged medical reports. She also alleged that he dictated the contents of the documents.
Final Court Ruling
Despite these testimonies, the court ruled that the prosecution did not provide enough evidence to support the charges. In December 2024, Fani-Kayode filed a no-case submission, arguing that the EFCC failed to prove its allegations. The court agreed and discharged him of all charges.