A Federal High Court in Lagos State, has slammed Femi Fani Kayode, former aviation minister, with a fine of N200,000 for being absent in court on the grounds of having a ‘bed rest’.
FFK failed to appear in court on Wednesday, October 13, in a fresh hearing on his alleged involvement in a N406bn fraud in 2015.
He is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), alongside four others- a former Minister of Finance, Mrs. Nenadi Esther Usman; a former Chairman of Association of Local Governments in Nigeria (ALGON), Danjuma Yusuf and a limited liability company, Jointrust Dimentions Nigeria Limited.
The matter which started since 2016, have suffered set backs partly owing to change of presiding judges in the case.
At the resumed hearing of the matter yesterday, the prosecutor, Mrs. Bilikisu Buhari, informed the court that the matter was to start afresh, but that Fani-Kayode, who is the second defendant, was not in court to take his plea. She prayed the court to revoke Kayode’s bail granted to him in 2016.
However, Fani-Kayode’s counsel, F.B. Ajudua, was swift to plead with the court not to revoke his bail, arguing that a letter has been written on behalf of his client that he is currently on ‘bed rest’ at Kubwa General Hospital, Abuja.
Ajudua added that this was the first time his client was being absent from court sessions since the case started. This claim was countered by the Presiding judge, Justice Daniel Osaigor, whose record showed that the defendant had stayed out of court on health ground, 5 times- Feb. 1, 2018, May 30, 2019, Nov. 24, 2020, March 21, 2021 and Oct. 9, 2021.
Osaigor, thereafter gave the counsel an option of N200,000 fine or revocation of FFK’s bail, which he choosed the former to be paid before the next adjournment.
The court adjourned to November 30, 2021 for re-arraignment of the defendants.
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