The Special Offences Division of the Lagos High Court in Ikeja has admitted into evidence the extrajudicial statements made by former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, in his ongoing trial over alleged abuse of office and multi-billion-dollar fraud.
Delivering the ruling, Justice Rahman Oshodi held that the statements were not confessional and therefore did not require a trial-within-a-trial before being admitted as evidence.
Emefiele’s defence had argued that the statements were obtained involuntarily while he was detained by the Department of State Services (DSS) for more than 157 days, alleging that he was subjected to physical and psychological torture.
However, the court dismissed the objection, describing it as lacking merit. Justice Oshodi also agreed with the prosecution that none of the statements contained any admission of the offences alleged against the former CBN governor.
The court subsequently admitted statements Emefiele made to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) during interviews conducted in late 2023, rejecting the defence’s reliance on the Anti-Torture Act to challenge their admissibility.
The prosecution, led by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), informed the court that the interviews were conducted in the presence of Emefiele’s legal counsel and maintained that the statements did not amount to a confession. The prosecution also withdrew one of the statements it had initially sought to tender.
Emefiele and his co-defendant, Henry Omoile, are facing a 19-count charge bordering on alleged abuse of office, corruption, receiving gratification, and fraudulent property transactions involving about $4.5 billion and ₦2.8 billion. Omoile is also facing separate charges over the alleged unlawful acceptance of gifts.
Both defendants have pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Justice Oshodi adjourned the matter to October 6, 7 and 8, and November 11, 12 and 13, 2026, for the continuation of the trial.
