An Ikeja Special Offences Court has scheduled Monday, May 4, to deliver a ruling in a trial-within-trial concerning the admissibility of statements made by a co-defendant in the ongoing case involving former Central Bank of Nigeria governor, Godwin Emefiele.
The co-defendant, Henry Omoile, is contesting the voluntariness of statements he made to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The court is expected to determine whether those statements can be admitted as evidence.
Emefiele is currently facing a 19-count charge bordering on alleged abuse of office, including claims of gratification and corrupt demands linked to financial transactions totaling about $4.5 billion and ₦2.8 billion.
Omoile, his associate, faces three counts related to the alleged unlawful acceptance of gifts in transactions tied to the apex bank.
Presiding over the case, Rahman Oshodi adjourned proceedings after both prosecution and defence teams adopted their final written addresses on the matter.
During arguments, Omoile’s counsel, Adeyinka Kotoye (SAN), urged the court to reject the prosecution’s submissions, citing the absence of video evidence of his client’s interrogation.
He argued that this violated provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) and undermined claims that the statements were made voluntarily.
Emefiele’s lead counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), supported this position, stressing that under the Evidence Act, statements obtained through coercion or inducement are inadmissible. He argued that the prosecution failed to prove the statements were made freely.
On the other hand, EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), maintained that the statements were voluntarily given and obtained in line with legal requirements.
He noted that although the interrogation was not video-recorded, it took place in the presence of Omoile’s lawyer, which he said ensured due process.
Oyedepo also argued that the defence’s challenge came too late, describing it as an abuse of court process since no objection was raised when the statements were initially tendered.
The trial-within-trial was initiated after Omoile alleged that he was coerced and promised freedom in exchange for making statements to EFCC investigators—claims the prosecution strongly denies.
The court’s upcoming ruling will determine whether those statements can be used as evidence in the broader trial.
