Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Ikeja Special Offences Court has deferred his decision until July 9 regarding the admissibility of extra-judicial statements attributed to former CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele. This development occurs within the ongoing trial concerning a $4.5 billion fraud case.
The court reached this decision after reviewing arguments from both the prosecution and the defence teams concerning whether the statements in question were provided by Emefiele without coercion. Emefiele is currently facing a 19-count charge alongside his co-defendant, Henry Omoile, who is separately dealing with three charges involving the illicit acceptance of gifts.
Representing Emefiele, Mr. Olalekan Ojo, SAN, challenged the inclusion of these statements. He argued that they were extracted under duress during Emefiele’s 157-day detention by the Department of State Services. Ojo emphasized that the lack of video documentation for the interrogations renders the claims of voluntariness suspect, citing both the Evidence Act and the Anti-Torture Act of 2017.
Conversely, the prosecution, represented by Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, asserted that the interviews were conducted properly with legal counsel present. Investigator Alvan Gurumnaan testified that the statements were given freely. The prosecution argued against the necessity of a trial-within-trial, contending that the documents do not constitute confessions.
Justice Oshodi also granted a request from the second defendant, Henry Omoile, allowing him to appeal an earlier court ruling. The judge scheduled the continuation of the main trial for dates in October and November 2026.