Relief at Last: Fani-Kayode Acquitted, Says He Can Now Care for His Children
Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode (FFK), has expressed immense relief following his acquittal in a medical forgery case brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Speaking after the verdict, Fani-Kayode stated, “I thank God for my family and my children. Four criminal cases by the EFCC in the space of the last 18 years have been quite an ordeal for me because it hurt my family, my career, my business, my everything. So, today, we got the fourth and final one done. By the grace of God, I can now live my life, face my family, and take care of my nine children properly.”
On Tuesday, a Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, discharged and acquitted Fani-Kayode of the medical forgery charges. Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe, delivering the ruling on the no-case submission filed by the defense, held that the EFCC failed to establish a prima facie case against the former minister.
The court ruled in favor of Fani-Kayode’s counsel, Norrison Quakers (SAN), stating that the prosecution failed to present credible evidence linking the defendant to the alleged offence. The judge further noted that the EFCC did not produce any of Fani-Kayode’s associates who allegedly collected money from him or the lawyer who claimed that the defendant instructed his law firm to submit the medical reports in question.
Fani-Kayode had been facing a 12-count charge filed by the EFCC for allegedly using forged medical reports in proceedings before Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos. He was being prosecuted in connection with an alleged N4.9 billion fraud case.
The former minister consistently denied the allegations throughout the trial. With this acquittal, Fani-Kayode sees the verdict as a fresh start, allowing him to focus on his family and personal affairs without legal distractions.
