Yesterday, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, the former minister of aviation, requested that the Federal High Court in Abuja adjourn further proceedings in the attempted murder charge brought against his estranged wife, Ms Precious Chikwendu.
The former minister said that the issues he had with his ex-wife had been peacefully settled when he was present in court for the suit's dismissal.
Originally, Ms. Chikwendu was scheduled to enter a plea to a 13-count charge brought by the police with the filing number FHCABJ/CR/1/2022.
The former beauty queen, according to the prosecution, attempted to stab the former minister with a kitchen knife on November 24, 2018, in his Asokoro apartment in Abuja.
He testified before the court that Ms. Chikwendu had insultingly referred to Fani-Kayode as "Mr. Short Fuse" in a post she published on her Facebook page.
By referring to the former minister as "a person who is sexually incapable," she was charged with publishing false information about him and implied that he is not the biological father of the four children she had with him while she was his wife.
Emmanuel Anakan, Prisca Chikwendu, and Osakwe Azubuike were three other people who were also named as defendants in the case; more others were alleged to be at large.
Charges against the defendants bordered on cybercrime, intimidation to kill Fani-Kayode by use of the Internet, attempted culpable homicide, as well a threat to kill one Lauretta in a bid to frighten her to leave her relationship with the ex-minister.
Meanwhile, when the matter was called for the defendants to enter their plea, yesterday, the prosecution counsel, Mr John Ijagbemi, applied to withdraw the charge.
“My lord, the matter was slated for re-arraignment of the defendants today (Thursday). However, we want to plead to your lordship for the withdrawal of the case,” Ijagbemi stated.
He told the court that the Commissioner of Police for the FCT received a letter from the nominal complainant (Fani-Kayode) about his intention to withdraw the case.
Following a no objection stance by counsel to the defendants, Mr Peter Abang, trial Justice Inyang Ekwo dismissed the suit.