AFTER 18 YEARS IN COURT, FANI-KAYODE WALKS FREE—HERE’S WHY THE JUDGE DISMISSED HIS FORGERY CASE

By Achimi Muktar

LAGOS—After nearly two decades of legal battles, former Minister of Aviation Femi Fani-Kayode has been discharged and acquitted of all charges of medical forgery by an Ikeja Special Offences Court.

The ruling, delivered by Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe, marked the end of a high-profile case initiated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which had accused Fani-Kayode of forging medical documents to evade trial in an ongoing corruption case.

The court ruled that the EFCC failed to establish a prima facie case against the former minister, meaning there was no sufficient evidence to even require a defense.

"I have carefully examined the prosecution’s evidence and cannot find any indication that the defendant committed the alleged offences," Justice Abike-Fadipe stated.

She further criticized the EFCC for failing to present key witnesses, including Fani-Kayode’s alleged associates or the lawyer said to have handled the forged medical reports.

The judge also dismissed the extrajudicial statements presented by the EFCC, noting that such evidence could only be used to contradict witnesses in court—not as standalone proof of guilt.

Fani-Kayode’s legal troubles with the EFCC date back 18 years, with multiple trials and appeals across different courts in Lagos and Abuja. Here’s a breakdown of his previous legal battles:

2008 – 2015: Prosecuted by the EFCC at the Federal High Court, Lagos, before three different judges. Acquitted by Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia on July 1, 2015.

2016 – 2023: Another EFCC case at the Federal High Court, Lagos, before multiple judges. Charges quashed by the Court of Appeal on April 21, 2023.

2016 – 2025: Tried at the Federal High Court, Abuja, before Justice John Tsoho (Chief Judge of the Federal High Court). Discharged on January 15, 2025.

2021 – 2025: The most recent case at the Lagos State High Court, presided over by Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe, which ended in acquittal on February 4, 2025.

With all charges dropped, this ruling officially closes one of Nigeria’s longest-running legal sagas involving a former government official.

Following his acquittal, Fani-Kayode has hinted at seeking legal redress for what he describes as "years of unwarranted persecution."

This verdict raises serious questions about the EFCC’s prosecution tactics and whether the anti-graft agency will appeal the ruling—or finally let the case rest after nearly two decades in court.