The Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, has acquitted and discharged former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, of charges of medical forgery filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe delivered the ruling after considering a "no case" submission made by Fani-Kayode’s lawyer, Norrison Quakers (SAN). The judge ruled that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against the former minister and upheld the submission, stating that the EFCC did not link Fani-Kayode to the alleged offense.

Fani-Kayode was facing 12 counts, accused of using forged medical reports in proceedings before Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court in Lagos. The EFCC claimed that he presented false medical documents to delay his trial in a case involving an alleged N4.9 billion fraud.

One of the charges read: “That you, Femi Fani-Kayode, on or about the 11th day of October, 2021, in Lagos, fraudulently used a false document titled 'Medical Report on Olufemi Fani-Kayode 60 Years/Male/Hosp. No. 00345 DATED 11/10/2021' before the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division in charge No. FHC/L/251C/2016.” Another count similarly involved a forged medical document presented in March 2021.

The EFCC argued that the creation and use of these documents were in violation of Section 369 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015. During the trial, Kubwa General Hospital in Abuja denied that Fani-Kayode was a patient, with the hospital’s head of medical records testifying that the medical reports presented by Fani-Kayode were not issued by the hospital.

Additionally, a prosecution witness, Abidat Bukola, claimed that Fani-Kayode paid her a total of N820,000 for four forged medical reports. She testified that Fani-Kayode dictated the contents of these reports. However, the former minister denied the allegations.