Former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, who was earlier on Wednesday cleared of corruption charges by a federal High Court in Lagos, has noted that his life, family and reputation was almost destroyed by his travail in court, expressing gratitude to God that the “whole nightmare” has ended.
Going down memory lane, Fani-Kayode who said he had suffered the most malicious and devastating form of political prosecution in the last seven years, noted: “Initially, I was accused of stealing N19.5bn of public funds when I was Minister of Aviation. It was thrown out by the courts. Then I was accused of stealing N6.5bn. It was thrown out by the courts. Then I was accused of laundering N200m. It was thrown out by the courts. Read full statement below....
"This gruesome ordeal started seven years ago and throughout that period, it was grueling and difficult. They took seven years from me but they couldn’t break me or end my life. It was a very difficult period for both me and my family which came with enormous and unimaginable challenges, yet from day one I never doubted that I would be vindicated because God had assured me of it and I know the God that I serve. He never lies and He never fails.
He said, through his Holy Spirit, that my innocence would speak for me and that he would fight this battle for me and he did. He said that he is the author and the finisher of my faith, my shield, my glory and the lifter of my head and he was. He has proved all that throughout my life and he has proved it once again with the verdict in this case. To him alone be all the glory.
When the ordeal began seven years ago the Lord ministered that it would last for seven years but that in the end, I would be declared innocent, I would be vindicated and I would be delivered. Again he honored his word because the whole nightmare started on 1st of July 2008 when I was arrested in the premises of the Nigerian Senate after the public hearing on the N19.5 billion Naira Aviation Intervention Fund.
I was cleared of any wrong doing in the administration of that fund by the Senate Commitee on Aviation yet despite that, immediately after the sitting before the Comimitee, I was abducted and arrested in an unceremonious and shameul fashion and locked up by the Farida Waziri-led EFCC for 10 days and charged to a magistrate court in Abuja.
Today, the 1st of July 2015, seven years to the day from that day when I was first arrested and first put into detention, I have been discharged and acquitted of all remaining charges by the courts. The Lord has, once again, honored his word, to him alone be the glory. As a mark of honor and respect for the Lord and as an everlasting testimony of my love for and dedication to him, I wish to make it known to the Nigerian public that as from today my name will be changed.
It will no longer be David Oluwafemi Fani-Kayode but instead, it shall be David Oluwafemi Olukayode. Olukayode means “the Lord has brought me joy” and today he has done precisely that. As from this day, in honor of him and as a small tribute to my love for and total dependance on Him, that shall remain my family name. Once again, I give thanks to God for all that has happened to me and for this great deliverance. To him be all the glory.
I swore that I would not leave the shores of Nigeria until this matter was finally brought to an end and the courts had pronounced my innocence. That was seven years ago. I kept faith with that oath and it gives me pleasure to tell you that now that the whole ordeal is over I shall be leaving the shores of my beloved country for the first time in seven years for a short holiday and a long overdue medical examination.
They not only threw the whole book at me but also the entire kitchen sink but the Lord was with me. I stood on His words in Isaiah 50 v.7-9 and I never faltered or doubted Him even in the most difficult times.
He said, through his Holy Spirit, that my innocence would speak for me and that he would fight this battle for me and he did. He said that he is the author and the finisher of my faith, my shield, my glory and the lifter of my head and he was. He has proved all that throughout my life and he has proved it once again with the verdict in this case. To him alone be all the glory.
When the ordeal began seven years ago the Lord ministered that it would last for seven years but that in the end, I would be declared innocent, I would be vindicated and I would be delivered. Again he honored his word because the whole nightmare started on 1st of July 2008 when I was arrested in the premises of the Nigerian Senate after the public hearing on the N19.5 billion Naira Aviation Intervention Fund.
I was cleared of any wrong doing in the administration of that fund by the Senate Commitee on Aviation yet despite that, immediately after the sitting before the Comimitee, I was abducted and arrested in an unceremonious and shameul fashion and locked up by the Farida Waziri-led EFCC for 10 days and charged to a magistrate court in Abuja.
Today, the 1st of July 2015, seven years to the day from that day when I was first arrested and first put into detention, I have been discharged and acquitted of all remaining charges by the courts. The Lord has, once again, honored his word, to him alone be the glory. As a mark of honor and respect for the Lord and as an everlasting testimony of my love for and dedication to him, I wish to make it known to the Nigerian public that as from today my name will be changed.
It will no longer be David Oluwafemi Fani-Kayode but instead, it shall be David Oluwafemi Olukayode. Olukayode means “the Lord has brought me joy” and today he has done precisely that. As from this day, in honor of him and as a small tribute to my love for and total dependance on Him, that shall remain my family name. Once again, I give thanks to God for all that has happened to me and for this great deliverance. To him be all the glory.
I swore that I would not leave the shores of Nigeria until this matter was finally brought to an end and the courts had pronounced my innocence. That was seven years ago. I kept faith with that oath and it gives me pleasure to tell you that now that the whole ordeal is over I shall be leaving the shores of my beloved country for the first time in seven years for a short holiday and a long overdue medical examination.
They not only threw the whole book at me but also the entire kitchen sink but the Lord was with me. I stood on His words in Isaiah 50 v.7-9 and I never faltered or doubted Him even in the most difficult times.
Now they know that I serve a mighty God who never forsakes His own. I thank the media for their constant support and attention and I thank the millions of Nigerian people that chose to believe in me and to keep faith with me throughout this ordeal.
Once again, I give thanks to the Lord.
God bless you all,
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