A Lagos Special Offences Court in Ikeja has discharged and acquitted former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, of forgery charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The ruling was delivered by Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe, who upheld a no-case submission filed by Fani-Kayode’s counsel, Wale Balogun (SAN).
The judge stated that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against the defendant and did not provide sufficient evidence linking him to the alleged offenses.
The court noted that none of the defendant’s associates, who were alleged to have collected money from him, were presented as witnesses.
Additionally, the lawyer who purportedly claimed that Fani-Kayode instructed his firm to submit medical reports to the Federal High Court was also not brought before the court.
The court ruled that extrajudicial statements could not be used as substantial evidence unless they were intended to contradict a witness’s testimony.
After reviewing the evidence presented by the prosecution, the judge concluded that there was no basis for the charges against Fani-Kayode and, as a result, discharged and acquitted him.
The EFCC had arraigned the former minister on November 11, 2021, on a 12-count charge related to procuring and executing documents under false pretenses, use of false documents, fabrication of evidence, and the use of fabricated evidence.
The anti-graft agency called seven witnesses to testify against him before closing its case.
Following the prosecution’s failure to establish its case, Fani-Kayode filed a no-case submission on December 7, 2024, urging the court to dismiss the charges. The ruling in his favor was delivered on January 15, 2025.
This acquittal follows a similar ruling by a Federal High Court in Abuja, where Justice John Tsoho discharged Fani-Kayode of a three-count charge related to money laundering.
The court held that the prosecution had failed to provide sufficient evidence to prove the allegations against him.
The judge pointed out inconsistencies in witness testimonies and contradictions in the prosecution’s case, concluding that the evidence presented was unreliable.
Fani-Kayode’s latest legal victory echoes a previous case in 2015, when Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia similarly discharged and acquitted him of money laundering charges.
