On Wednesday, a Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos State, threatened to issue a bench warrant for the arrest of former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode.
Justice Olubumni Abike-Fadipe issued the threat in response to Fani-Kayode’s failure to appear in court.
The APC chieftain is on trial on a 12-count charge involving the use of false documents, the use of fabricated evidence, procuring the execution of documents under false pretenses, and evidence fabrication.
At his arraignment on December 17, 2021, he pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The judge noted that Fani-Kayode last appeared in court on November 4, 2022.
Abike-Fadipe cited reasons given by the defendant for his non-appearance.
As a result, she threatened to issue a bench warrant against him if he did not appear at the next adjourned date.
The judge also chastised the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for failing to prosecute the case diligently.
She threatened the commission with dismissal if it did not vigorously prosecute the case.
She adjourned the case until Nov. 7 to allow the trial to continue.
The defendant was accused of forging medical reports, which he presented to Justice Daniel Osiagor of a Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, where he is being prosecuted by the EFCC for an alleged N4.9 billion fraud.
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