Emefiele Suffers Setback As Court Admits EFCC Statements In $4.5bn Fraud Case

The Lagos State Special Offences Court, Ikeja has admitted in evidence extra-judicial statements allegedly made by the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Justice Rahman Oshodi was reported to have given the ruling on Thursday dismissing objections raised by Emefiele’s lawyers against the admissibility of the statements.

The court found that a trial-within-trial was not necessary as the statements were not confessional statements.

Justice Oshodi held that before an extra-judicial statement can be treated as confessional, it must contain an unambiguous admission of the offences alleged against the maker.

The judge said that nothing in Emefiele’s statements could be construed as an admission of the facts in issue.

Consequently, the court admitted as exhibits statements allegedly made by Emefiele on October 27, October 30, November 11, November 12 and November 13, 2023.

The case was adjourned till October 6, 7 and 8, and November 11, 12 and 13, 2026 for continuation of trial.

Read Also: Federal Government Proposes 112 As Unified Emergency Number Across Nigeria

Emefiele is on trial with Henry Omoile on 19 counts bordering on abuse of office, receiving gratification, accepting gifts through agents, corruption and fraudulent property transactions involving about $4.5bn and ₦2.8bn.

Omoile is charged on three counts of receiving unlawful gifts in relation to transactions involving the CBN.

Both defendants have entered pleas of not guilty.

Emefiele’s counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), had argued that the statements should be rejected by the court on the ground that they were obtained under oppression and torture when his client was in DSS custody.

But the prosecution, led by Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), submitted that the statements were not confessional and there was no legal basis for a trial-within-trial.