The Special Offences Court in Lagos has rejected a bid to halt the corruption trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele.
In a ruling on Wednesday, Justice Rahman Oshodi dismissed the request for him to recuse himself from the case, stating that the allegations of bias were baseless. He cited a 2013 ruling by Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, which established that judicial bias alone is not grounds for disqualifying a judge. The judge emphasized that bias must be personal or based on extrajudicial factors.
Justice Oshodi referenced various Supreme Court precedents and concluded that the recusal application was without merit. He firmly rejected the request, stating, “The allegation of bias has not been substantiated… Accordingly, the recusal application is refused.”
At the previous court session, Emefiele’s lead counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), and his co-defendant’s lawyer, Kazeem Gbadamosi (SAN), argued that the judge’s decision to allow a leading question from the prosecution hindered the defense’s ability to cross-examine the witness fairly. However, prosecution counsel Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) opposed the motion, calling it unfounded.
In a separate ruling, Justice Oshodi granted Emefiele’s request to appeal the court’s January 8 decision, which questioned the court’s jurisdiction over the case.
The trial is scheduled to resume on May 26.
