Fani-Kayode Has Avoided Trial Five Times Due To Medical Reasons Says Judge 

When Fani-Kayode does not want to appear in court, he calls in sick.

By Omotayo Olutekunbi

On Wednesday, a frustrated and enraged Federal High Court judge in Lagos stated that his tolerance with former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode had run out.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has charged Fani-Kayode and Nenadi Usman, a former Minister of State for Finance, with a 17-count money laundering allegation worth N4.6 billion.

The offenders allegedly committed the offenses between January and March 2015, according to the anti-graft bureau.

On Wednesday, October 13, when the case was called, Fani-Kayode was not at the courthouse.

EFCC counsel, Bilikisu Buhari announced that whenever Fani-Kayode didn’t want to show up in court, he would write to say he has fallen ill.

“Whenever he doesn’t want to attend court, this is the type of letter we get,” she said.

Justice Daniel Osaigor of the Federal High Court in Lagos said: “From my records, the second defendant (Fani-Kayode) had written to the court five times, excusing his trial on medical grounds.”

Osaigor gave the dates Fani-Kayode wrote letters of excuse as Feb. 1, 2018, May 30, 2019, Nov. 24, 2020, March 21, 2021 and Oct. 9, 2021.

The judge then fined Fani-Kayode N200, 000 for his numerous excuses.

“The second defendant is to pay a cost of N200, 000 before the next adjourned date, as the recurring medical excuse has been a pattern that slows this trial,” he declared.

B.F Ajudua, Fani-lawyer, Kayode’s told the court that his client’s sickness is recurrent.

The lawsuit was therefore postponed until November 30, 2021.

Fani-Kayode recently switched from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).