Justice Rahman Oshodi of an Ikeja Special Offences Court has adjourned until May 4, 2026, for ruling on the admissibility of an extra-judicial statement made by Henry Omoile, a co-defendant in the ongoing trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
The decision followed the adoption of final written addresses by both the prosecution and defence during a trial-within-trial conducted to determine whether the statement was voluntarily made.
Emefiele is facing a 19-count charge bordering on alleged gratification, corrupt demands, and abuse of office connected to financial transactions, while Omoile is separately standing trial on a three-count charge of alleged unlawful acceptance of gifts in relation to CBN-related dealings.
The prosecution alleges that the transactions involved about $4.5 billion and ₦2.8 billion.
During proceedings, defence counsel Adeyinka Kotoye (SAN) argued that the key issue before the court was whether the statement attributed to the second defendant was made voluntarily.
He submitted that the process of obtaining the statement violated Sections 9(3) and (4) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) as well as Sections 17(1) and (2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).
Kotoye further argued that in cases where voluntariness is disputed, video recording of interrogations is crucial in ensuring compliance with due process.
He also faulted the prosecution for not providing independent evidence to support the alleged confessional statement, while questioning the effectiveness of the legal representation present during the process.
According to him, the mere presence of a lawyer is not sufficient if the counsel failed to properly protect the rights of the accused.
The defence maintained that the statement may have been obtained under coercion or inducement, urging the court to reject it.
