Court Acquits Fani-Kayode of Forgery Charges, Ending 18-Year Legal Battle with EFCC

 After nearly two decades of legal proceedings, an Ikeja court has cleared Femi Fani-Kayode of all forgery charges due to lack of evidence.

A Lagos Special Offences Court has acquitted former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, of medical forgery charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), marking the end of an 18-year-long legal battle.

Delivering her ruling, Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe upheld a no-case submission by Fani-Kayode’s counsel, Wale Balogun (SAN), stating that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against the defendant.

“I have carefully examined the prosecution’s evidence and found no indication that the defendant committed the alleged offences,” the judge ruled.

She further noted that the EFCC did not present any key witnesses, such as Fani-Kayode’s associates or the lawyer allegedly responsible for handling the disputed medical reports. Additionally, the extrajudicial statements submitted by the prosecution were deemed insufficient, as they could only be used to contradict their makers in court.

Fani-Kayode was first charged by the EFCC in November 2021 on a 12-count indictment, including forgery and procurement of false documents. However, the prosecution’s seven witnesses failed to provide substantial evidence.

In a related case, the Federal High Court in Abuja had earlier dismissed separate money laundering charges against Fani-Kayode on January 15, 2025. Justice John Tsoho ruled that the EFCC had not provided sufficient proof linking him to the alleged offences.

A Legal Marathon Finally Ends

Fani-Kayode’s legal battles with the EFCC spanned nearly two decades, involving multiple trials across different courts:

• 2008–2015: Tried at the Federal High Court in Lagos before three different judges, ultimately acquitted by Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia on July 1, 2015.
• 2016–2023: Prosecuted again at the Federal High Court in Lagos, where charges were later quashed by the Court of Appeal on April 21, 2023.
• 2016–2025: Faced additional charges at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where he was discharged by Justice Tsoho on January 15, 2025.
• 2021–2025: Tried at the Lagos State High Court, with Justice Abike-Fadipe finally acquitting him on February 4, 2025.

This verdict officially closes a prolonged and high-profile legal battle, bringing an end to Fani-Kayode’s series of court trials.