Court Grants Fani-Kayode N5m Bail, Directs Him To Attend Proceedings

The Special Offences Court in Ikeja has granted a N5m bail to former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode.

The court also asked the All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain to sign an undertaking that he will attend future proceedings.

Naija News reports that Fani-Kayode was arraigned before Justice Abike Fadipe by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on 12 counts charge.

The former minister was accused of procuring the execution of documents by false pretences, use of false documents, fabricating evidence and use of fabricated evidence.

According to the EFCC, the offences are contrary to and punishable under section 88(1) (a) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

However, Fani-Kayode, pleaded not guilty to the 12 counts

Following the defendant’s not guilty plea, counsel to the EFCC, S.I. Suleiman asked the court for a date for trial and also prayed the court to remand the former minister.

In an oral application, counsel for Fani-Kayode, Wale Balogun, however, prayed the court to grant him bail in accordance with Section 115(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2021 as amended.

The lawyer said that the defendant has, since 2016, been standing trial before two justices of the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court and had met all the requirements for bail in the cases.

Balogun noted that Fani-Kayode had deposited his international passport to the Federal High Court as part of the terms of his bail and that the offences in the charge are bailable.

The lawyer noted that the defendant was a two-time minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Granting the bail, Justice Abike Fadipe ruled that “the defendant shall execute a bond in the sum of five million Naira and file an undertaking that he shall attend all proceedings in this case.

She added that “the defendant shall present a surety in like sum who shall be resident within the jurisdiction of this court; the surety shall also execute a bond in the sum of five million Naira”.