Femi Fani-Kayode, former Minister of Aviation, has been cleared of forgery charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
On Tuesday, Justice Olubumni Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, ruled in Fani-Kayode’s favor, stating that the prosecution had failed to establish a solid case against him.
The court agreed with Fani-Kayode’s defense lawyer, Norrison Quakers, who filed a no-case submission. Justice Abike-Fadipe noted that the EFCC had not been able to connect Fani-Kayode to the alleged offence and had not presented critical evidence, such as testimony from individuals who supposedly received money from the former minister or the lawyer who allegedly submitted the forged medical reports to the Federal High Court.
The judge also pointed out that any extrajudicial statements submitted could only be used to challenge the credibility of the person who made them during testimony.
“I have reviewed the prosecution’s evidence and found no proof that the defendant committed the alleged offences,” the judge stated. “The prosecution has not shown sufficient grounds for the defendant to mount a defense.”
As a result of the ruling, Fani-Kayode was discharged and acquitted of all charges.
Fani-Kayode expressed relief and gratitude after the judgment, reflecting on the 18 years of court battles and expressing joy at finally being cleared of the case.
The forgery charges had been linked to allegations that Fani-Kayode used forged medical reports in a case involving a N4.9 billion fraud. One of the charges accused him of submitting a fraudulent medical report from Kubwa General Hospital in Abuja, but the hospital confirmed that no such report had been issued to him. A prosecution witness also claimed that Fani-Kayode had paid N820,000 to obtain forged medical documents.
Despite the accusations, Fani-Kayode denied all allegations and filed the no-case submission in December 2024, arguing the prosecution had failed to substantiate its claims.