Alleged Forgery: EFCC re-arrests Fani-Kayode

A former minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has been reportedly “re-arrested” by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged forgery and document falsification allegations

According to a report by ChannelsTV, Mr Fani-Kayode was arrested on Tuesday after proceedings at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos.

The former minister was reportedly up by operatives of the commission, after the judge, Daniel Osaigor, adjourned proceedings in an ongoing trial involving alleged N4.9 billion fraud. He was said to have been immediately driven to the commission’s office.

Efforts to reach the EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, for comments were unsuccessful. His known phone numbers were not reachable.

He has also not responded to text messages sent to him as of press time.

Mr Uwujaren’s statement on the adjournment of the trial of Mr Fani-Kayode earlier on Tuesday said nothing about the reported re-arrest.

When contacted, a spokesperson for Mr Fani-Kayode, Gloria Nzenwa, declined to speak.

She said she could not speak officially on the matter until tomorrow Wednesday.

Recall, the EFCC had invited the former minister of aviation, last Tuesday for questioning at the Commission’s zonal office in Lagos.

Sources familiar with the matter informed this newspaper that Mr Fani-Kayode was being investigated for document falsification of his medical report to evade his ongoing trial for alleged fraud.

However, hours after reports of his arrests, Mr Fani-Kayode in a terse message posted on Twitter said he was granted bail by the commission on “self-recognition”.

“I was invited & I flew down to Lagos to see them. I arrived in their office at 2.00 pm & left at 8.30 pm. I was granted bail on self-recognition. They were very polite & professional. Thanks be to God,” the message read.

Ongoing trial

The EFCC is prosecuting Mr Fani-Kayode and two others on 17 counts of conspiracy, money laundering, and fraud to the tune of N4.9 billion.

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He is been charged alongside a former Minister of State for Finance, Nenadi Usman, a former Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, (ALGON), Yusuf Danjuma, and a company, Join-Trust Dimensions Nigeria Ltd.

The Federal High Court in Lagos had awarded a fine of N200,000 against the former minister for his absence from the court for the alleged N4.9 billion fraud.

The defendants had pleaded “not guilty” to all the charges preferred against them.

At the previous sitting on October 13, F.B. Ajudua had told the court that his client, Mr Fani-Kayode, was “currently on bed rest at Kubwa General Hospital, Abuja”.

However, at Tuesday’s sitting, the EFCC in a statement said counsel to the first defendant, Ferdinard Orbih, was absent, following a letter notifying the court in advance.

The prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, did not object to the letter sent in by the defence.

He, however, told the court that the prosecution’s investigation revealed that several letters Mr Fani-Kayode claimed to have obtained from Kubwa General Hospital and presented to the court at previous sittings were an excuse for his absence.

He further added that the EFCC was “currently working on the report and will do the needful.”

The judge, thereafter, adjourned the matter till January 24 for the continuation of trial.