The Special Offences Division of the Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has admitted into evidence 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-naira fraud.
Delivering a ruling on Friday, Justice Rahman Oshodi held that the statements were not confessional in nature and therefore did not require a trial-within-a-trial to determine their admissibility.
Emefiele’s defence team had argued that the statements were obtained involuntarily while he was detained by the Department of State Services (DSS) for more than 157 days. The defence alleged that the former CBN governor was subjected to physical and psychological torture, rendering the statements inadmissible.
However, Justice Oshodi dismissed the objections, ruling that they lacked merit. The court also agreed with the prosecution that none of the statements amounted to an admission of the offences alleged against the defendant.
Consequently, the judge admitted into evidence statements made by Emefiele during interviews with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) 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), told the court that the interviews were conducted in the presence of Emefiele’s legal representative and maintained that the statements contained no confession or admission of guilt. The prosecution also withdrew one of the statements it had initially sought to tender.
Emefiele and his co-defendant, Henry Omoile, are standing trial on 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 case until October 6, 7 and 8, and November 11, 12 and 13, 2026, for the continuation of the trial.
