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| Femi Fani-Kayode |
It was a great day for us in court today. I give thanks to God. After we made our no case submission I was discharged and acquitted of 38 counts out of the 40 count charge that the EFCC proferred against me a number of years ago.
I have been fighting this matter and have waited for this day for the last 7 years when the nightmare first started. God has once again proved how faithful He is to His own. Only He could have done it. He promised that He would do it and He did it. To Him alone be the glory.
Where and how did it all begin? In 2007 after we left office and the late President Yar'adua came to power, the most vicious and insidious campaign of calmuny, misrepresentation, fabrication and persecution was unleashed against those of us that had served President Olusegun Obasanjo's government faithfully, diligently and loyally, that were members of his inner circle and that were labelled as ''Obasanjo'' or ''OBJ'' boys. These so-called ''OBJ boys'' included people like Nasir El Rufai, Nuhu Ribadu and a number of others. Each and every one of them have a story to tell.
Mine is as follows. In 2008 the Yar'adua administration alleged that I stole 19.5 billion naira (114 million USD) from the Aviation Intervention Fund when I was Minister of Aviation even though the Senate Aviation Comittee investigated the matter thoroughly in a highly celebrated and well-attended public hearing and gave me a clean bill of health.
Despite this the EFCC insisted on conducting their own investigation. After their so-called investigation, they arrested me, detained me illegally for 10 days and imprisoned, humiliated and tortured most of my staff, political associates and appointees.
They also purged most of my known loyalists from government positions and went out of their way to destroy them. They charged me to court but it was thrown out and all charges were eventually dropped for lack of evidence.
Later that same year they came back and alleged that I stole 6.5 billion naira (38 million USD) from the Safe Tower Project when I was Minister of Aviation. Again it was eventually thrown out and all charges were dropped for lack of evidence.
Yet they refused to stop the witch hunt. As a matter of fact things now got worse because it had become an obsession for them to discredit, humiliate, shame and jail me even though they knew that I had done nothing wrong.
In 2009 they ambushed me, arrested me, detained me for 10 days at Ikoyi prison and hit me with a 47 count money-laundering charge. They alleged that I laundered 200 million naira (1,169,000 USD).
After 4 years of going in and out of various courts before no less than three separate judges they changed their minds, reduced the number of counts from 47 to 40 and said that I did not launder 200 million but rather 99 million (679,000 USD).
Today the courts considered their 40 count charge and ruled that a prima facie case had not been made against me and that I had no case to answer in 38 out of the 40 counts. I was therefore discharged and acquited of 38 counts. Those counts represent the amount of 96.5 million naira (664, 000 USD).
The remaining two counts represents the sum of 1 million naira (6000 USD) and 1.5 million naira (8,500 USD) respectively. I have been accused of laundering these two sums of money by the EFCC and today the court has directed that I present my defence to these two allegations.
I look forward to doing so on December 8th. On that day I shall provide a vigorous defence to these spurious, petty and politically-motivated allegations and charges. I remain confident in the belief that that which the Lord has started, He is faithful to complete.
By the grace and mercy of God victory was ours today and victory will be ours tomorrow and always. The bible says ''many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers them of them all''. My innocence has spoken for me at every turn and it shall continue to do so.
It is the doing of the Lord and it is marvelous in our sight. I have no doubt whatsoever that the Lord shall perfect His work and deliver me completely from the hands of my enemies.
I thank all those that have stood by me, encouraged me and prayed for me over the last seven years and indeed throughout this grueling ordeal. It was indeed a difficult period and a great test for me and my family.
Most important of all it proved one thing to me: that without a test there can be no testimony. It proved that without a mess there can be no message. It proved that without trials and tribulations there can be no vindication.
It proved to me that until you fall down you cannot get up. I have been to the bottom of the valley and survived it: now I shall rise to the top of the mountain.
A special thanks goes to my darling wife Regina for never giving up on me and for always trusting in me. She is so strong and, unlike me, she never flinched for one second throughout this entire ordeal. Without her I couldn't have made it through the last seven years.
She is a great believer in the power of God, a true Daughter of Zion, a Princess of the Kingdom and a woman of faith and unimpeachable virtue and integrity. She is the mother of my daughter and my heart and my strength: a precious gift from God.
I bless the name of the Lord for all that I have been through and for delivering me from the hands of those that seek my destruction and death. I thank Him for His faithfulness.
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