Former Minister Femi Fani-Kayode Acquitted of Medical Forgery Charges

A court has acquitted Femi Fani-Kayode of all forgery charges, ruling that there is no case against the former minister in the high-profile legal battle.

The Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, has acquitted and discharged former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, of charges of medical forgery brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe, presiding over the case, ruled that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against the former minister.

The court upheld the no-case submission filed by Fani-Kayode’s counsel, Norrison Quakers (SAN), and declared that the defendant had no case to answer. The judge noted that the EFCC failed to provide sufficient evidence linking Fani-Kayode to the alleged offence.

Fani-Kayode had been facing a 12-count charge related to the alleged use of forged medical reports. These documents were reportedly submitted before Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, during a separate trial where Fani-Kayode was accused of a N4.9 billion fraud.

Details of the Charges

Among the charges, the EFCC alleged that Fani-Kayode fraudulently used a false medical report dated October 11, 2021, purportedly issued by Kubwa General Hospital, Abuja. The document was presented in court as part of his defense in the fraud case. Another charge accused him of using a similar forged medical report dated March 23, 2021.

The EFCC argued that these actions violated Section 369 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015, which prohibits the procurement and execution of documents through false pretence.

Prosecution’s Case

During the trial, the management of Kubwa General Hospital denied issuing any medical reports to Fani-Kayode. Bassey Amah, the hospital’s head of medical records, testified as the first prosecution witness, stating that the former minister was never a patient at the facility and that the medical report in question did not originate from the hospital.

A second prosecution witness, Abidat Bukola, alleged that Fani-Kayode paid her a total of N820,000 to procure four forged medical reports. She claimed that the former minister provided specific instructions on the content of the reports and made payments in installments of N120,000, N150,000, N250,000, and N300,000.

Defense and Acquittal

Fani-Kayode denied all allegations, and his legal team successfully argued that the prosecution failed to present credible evidence to substantiate the charges. Justice Abike-Fadipe agreed, ruling that the EFCC did not establish a sufficient connection between Fani-Kayode and the alleged forgery.

With this ruling, Fani-Kayode has been cleared of the medical forgery charges, marking a significant legal victory for the former minister.