Emefiele: Court fixes May 4 for ruling on admissibility of statement

Akin Kuponiyi

Lagos State Special Offences Court sitting at Ikeja on Friday adjourned till May 4, 2026, for ruling in the ongoing mini trial in the alleged $4.5 billion and ₦2.8 billion fraud cases against former Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele.

The second defendant, Henry Omolie, told the court that statements he made to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) were not voluntary, alleging they were obtained through threats, inducement, oppression, undue influence, and intimidation.

Omolie made the claim through written addresses adopted by his counsel, Akinsanya Kotoye (SAN), alongside Emefiele’s lawyer, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), before the trial judge, Justice Rahman Oshodi.

The court had earlier ordered the mini trial to determine whether Omolie’s statements, which the prosecution seeks to tender as evidence, were made under duress or not.

The defence argued that Omolie was traumatized and pressured during interrogation; his lawyer was allegedly sent out of the interrogation room, depriving him of legal representation, and that he was made to write statements on blank A4 sheets, which were later vetted and rewritten under instruction.

The EFCC allegedly promised to release him if he implicated Emefiele, amounting to inducement.

Kotoye further relied on Section 17(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice framework, arguing that the absence of video recording of the statement-taking process renders the statements unreliable and inadmissible.

“One of the major ways of determining voluntariness of a document is the production of video evidence,” the defence submitted.

The prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), maintained that the statements were made freely and in compliance with the law.

He argued that lack of video recording does not invalidate the statements; due process was followed in obtaining the documents, and that an EFCC witness had earlier told the court that Omolie’s statements were given voluntarily, contradicting the defence’s claims.

Legal issues at stake
At the heart of the mini trial is whether the disputed statements can be admitted as evidence in the substantive trial.

The defence insists the burden of proof lies on the prosecution to establish voluntariness and that failure to provide video evidence, as guided by Supreme Court decisions, should count against the prosecution.

They also argued that the statements cannot be regarded as confessional, emphasizing that the law applies to all statements, not only confessions.

Emefiele is standing trial on a 19-count charge bordering on alleged gratification, corrupt demands, and abuse of office linked to large-scale financial transactions.

Omoile, his associate, faces a three-count charge relating to the alleged unlawful acceptance of gifts while acting as an agent in transactions connected to the CBN.

The charges involve alleged transactions estimated at $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion, which the prosecution claims represent serious breaches of trust and procedure.

The presiding Judge Rahaman Oshodi adjourned the matter to May 4, 2026, for ruling on the admissibility of the contested statements.

Meanwhile the continuation of trial was adjourned till 26th of June,2026.