The Ikeja special offences court in Lagos state has discharged and acquitted Femi Fani-Kayode, former minister of aviation, of 12 forgery-related charges preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

 

Ruling on Tuesday, Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe, the trial judge, said the prosecution failed to link Fani-Kayode with the alleged offences.

 

In December 2021, EFCC accused Fani-Kayode of forging a medical report to evade trial in another case.

 

The former minister was alleged to have hired Ogieva Oziegbe to produce the false document, which was presented at a federal high court in Ikoyi.

 

Fani-Kayode pleaded not guilty and later filed a no-case submission after the prosecution presented its witnesses.

 

Delivering her verdict, Abike-Fadipe ruled that the EFCC had not provided enough evidence to prove the allegations.

 

“I have carefully studied the evidence of the prosecution witnesses and I cannot find where the defendant committed the alleged offences,” the judge ruled.

 

“The prosecution has failed to establish a prima facie case that would require the defendant to open his defence.”

 

The judge consequently discharged and acquitted the defendant of the alleged offences.