29th April, 2024
By Paul Dada & Akin Kuponiyi
Former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Governor Godwin Emefiele, has hired Olalekan Ojo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria to lead his defence in his ongoing trial for fraud at the Lagos High Court.
The embattled apex bank chief is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for alleged $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion acts of fraud.
Ojo is well known for his defence of Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, a former Chief Security Officer to the late military Head of State, General Sani Abacha.
Ojo defended Al-Mustapha and his alleged accomplices in the murder of Kudirat Abiola, a widow of Bashorun Moshood Abiola the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
Justice Mojisola Dada of the Lagos High Court passed a death sentence on Al-Mustapha, on January 30, 2013. But the Court of Appeal overturned the judgement months later.
On Monday, when Emefiele’s case came up, Ojo argued that he had filed a preliminary objection against the suit as he argued that the charge against his client was constitutionally and jurisdictionally defective. He asked the court to discontinue the trial.
But the EFCC prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, urged the court to ignore Ojo’s plea and continue trial.
Presiding judge, Justice Rahman Oshodi held that he would take a decision after the determination of all applications. He then deferred ruling on the matter.