Again, EFCC arrests Fani-Kayode

A former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, has been re-arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,(EFCC) over document falsification.

Fani-Kayode was arrested at the premises of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, and moved to the EFCC office nearby.

It was gathered that the former minister was in court on Tuesday for the continuation of his forgery trial.

Fani-Kayode was walking out after the matter was adjourned till January 24, 2022, when he was approached by an EFCC investigator.

Recall that the anti-graft agency had about a week ago reportedly arrested the former Aviation Minister for questioning.

The politician however after his release, denied that he was arrested, rather stating that he was invited by the anti-graft commission and honoured their invitation.

Fani-Kayode is standing trial over alleged N4.6billion money laundering, alongside Nenandi Usman, a former Minister of State for Finance.

A former Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) Yusuf Danjuma, and Jointrust Dimensions Nigeria Ltd are also defendants in the case.

The defendants who are facing a 17 count charge of money laundering preferred against them by the Anti-graft Agency had pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bails.

However at the re-arraignment before a new judge, Justice Daniel Osaigor on October, 27 2021, Fani Kayode was absent and his defence counsel who appeared on his behalf, Mr Fred Ajudua told the court that he was on admission at Kubwa General hospital in Abuja.

He had prayed for an adjournment on that grounds on behalf of the second defendant but the EFCC prosecutor, Mrs. Bilikisu Buhari, informed the court that the same tactics had always been adopted by the defendant whenever he does not want to attend court.

After going through the court’s records, Justice Osiagor ordered the defendant to be present in court on the next date, adding that he should pay a fine of N200,000 in addition.

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On Wednesday, all the defendants were present.

The prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo informed the court that the prosecution was glad that the court had figured out from its record that the second defendant (Fani Kayode) had sought repeated excuses from the court and it had also discovered that all letters sent by Fani-Kayode were fake.

But the Judge told the prosecutor that having granted an adjournment on the letters, the court had become functus officio.

However, drama ensued after the case was adjourned until January, 24 2022.

An EFCC investigator, Mr Shuaibu walked up to Fani-Kayode at the corridor of the court and after a brief discussion, the former Minister entered his car and followed the EFCC operatives to their office.

The operative who confirmed the arrest to newsmen said that Fani-Kayode was in their custody on a quiz over the false documents.

He was alleged to have committed the offences between January and March 2015.

In counts one to seven, they were alleged to have unlawfully retained over N3.8 billion which they reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act of stealing and corruption.

In counts eight to 14, the defendants were alleged to have unlawfully used over N970 million which they reasonably ought to have known formed part of an unlawful act of corruption.

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