Fani-Kayode released after ’10 hours’ in EFCC custody

Femi Fani-Kayode, a former minister of aviation, says he has been released from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Fani-Kayode was taken into EFCC custody earlier on Tuesday, shortly after his trial on alleged money laundering at the federal high court in Lagos.

The Tuesday incident came exactly one week after an earlier questioning by the commission.

While in the custody of the EFCC on November 23, Fani-Kayode was said to have been questioned over allegations of forgery.

In a message shared on his social media handles around 9pm on Tuesday, the former minister said he spent 10 hours in the custody of the anti-graft agency.

“Once again I was invited to the EFCC today. Once again, despite media reports, I was NOT arrested but invited. I got there at 11.00am and I have just been released. Thanks be to God!” he wrote.

Fani-Kayode was arraigned alongside Nenadi Usman, a former minister of state for finance, on a 17-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering and diversion of N4.9 billion, before Muslim Hassan, the presiding judge, on June 28, 2016.

Others listed as defendants are Danjuma Yusuf and a company, Joint Trust Dimensions Limited.

Midway into the trial, Fani-Kayode had objected to being tried before Hassan and the case file was transferred to Rilwan Aikawa, another judge.

Upon commencement of trial, Aikawa was transferred to another jurisdiction of the court, and the case file was then transferred to a new judge, Daniel Osiagor, for the matter to start afresh.

At the resumed sitting on Tuesday, the trial couldn’t proceed due to the absence of Ferdinand Orbih, counsel representing the first defendant, Nenadi Usman.

Orbih had sent a letter to the court explaining his absence and seeking an adjournment, and Rotimi Oyedepo, EFCC counsel, did not oppose the request for adjournment.

The prosecuting counsel, however, told the judge that the EFCC had recently discovered that the medical reports of hospitals, including the Kubwa General Hospital in Abuja, previously presented by Fani-Kayode to stall his trial on health grounds were allegedly fake.

The case has been adjourned till January 24, 2022.