Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, is facing the possibility of arrest after failing to appear in court for his alleged forgery trial.
Justice Olubumni Abike-Fadipe of the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja has expressed frustration over Fani-Kayode's repeated absences and threatened to issue a bench warrant for his arrest.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had charged Fani-Kayode with 12 counts, including the use of false documents, fabrication of evidence, and procuring the execution of documents through false pretenses.
Specifically, the EFCC accused him of obtaining a fake medical report from Dr. Ogieva Oziegbe and presenting it as evidence in a separate money laundering trial before Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court.
According to the EFCC, Fani-Kayode conspired with Dr. Oziegbe to produce a document titled "MEDICAL REPORT ON Olufemi Fani Kayode 60 YEARS/MALE/HOSP. NO.00345," purportedly issued by Kubwa General Hospital in Abuja on October 11, 2021. These actions are in violation of Section 369 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
Despite pleading not guilty to the charges, Fani-Kayode has failed to appear in court for three consecutive adjournments.
His defense counsel, Wale Balogun, previously cited health issues and conflicts with the Department of State Services (DSS) as reasons for his client's absence. However, during the latest court session, Chinozo Eze, representing Fani-Kayode, informed the court that his client was again unable to attend due to health concerns.
In response to Fani-Kayode's consistent non-appearance, Justice Abike-Fadipe expressed dissatisfaction, pointing out that his last appearance in court was on November 4, 2022.
The judge highlighted the numerous excuses given by the defendant and warned that a bench warrant would be issued if he failed to show up on the next adjourned date.
Justice Abike-Fadipe also criticized the prosecution for their lack of diligence, suggesting that the case could be withdrawn if the EFCC was not prepared to proceed.
She adjourned the trial until November 7, with the expectation that Fani-Kayode would appear, or else further action would be taken against him.
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