Alleged $4.5bn fraud: Court admits Emefiele’s statements as exhibits
Court Admits Former CBN Governor’s Statements as Evidence in Abuse of Office Trial
An Ikeja Special Offences Court has accepted as evidence extra-judicial statements made by former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin Emefiele during his trial for alleged abuse of office.
Justice Rahman Oshodi ruled that the statements would be marked as Exhibit K31, facilitating the continuation of the trial. The court has scheduled the next hearing for October 6.
Emefiele faces 19 charges, including allegations of gratification, corrupt demands, and abuse of office, regarding transactions valued at approximately $4.5 billion and 2.8 billion naira. Co-defendant Henry Omoile is charged with three counts related to the unlawful acceptance of gifts.
The court had earlier planned to determine the admissibility of the statements on July 9, following objections from Emefiele’s counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN). Ojo argued that the statements were not obtained voluntarily, alleging they were extracted under duress during Emefiele’s more than 157 days of detention by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Referencing the Anti-Torture Act of 2017 and relevant sections of the Evidence Act, Ojo questioned the validity of the statements. He stated, “The issue before this honourable court is whether the statements credited to the first defendant were made voluntarily,” emphasizing that video recordings would be ideal proof of due process.
Conversely, the prosecution, led by Director of Public Prosecutions Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), presented evidence from EFCC investigator Alvan Gurumnaan, who testified that Emefiele was interrogated in the presence of his lawyer. Oyedepo argued that there was no need for a trial-within-trial and maintained that the statements should not be considered confessions.