Court to rule Wednesday as Emefiele asks Judge to recuse self from trial

Court to rule Wednesday as Emefiele asks Judge to recuse self from trial

By Fly Cable News

A Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos has adjourned till Wednesday, February 26 to rule on whether or not to continue to hear the case of the former Governor of the Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele. Justice Rahman Oshodi adjourned for ruling after Emefiele’s Counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Olalekan Ojo, asked the judge to recuse himself from the trial, citing bias.

Another Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kazeem Gbadamosi representing Emefiele’s co-defendant, Henry Omoile also made a similar request. Emefiele is being tried on a 19-count charge bordering on receiving gratification and corrupt demand proffered against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). His co-defendant, Omoile, is facing a three-count charge bordering on unlawful acceptance of gifts by agents.

At the proceedings on Monday, the EFCC Lead Counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Rotimi Oyedepo, concluded the evidence-in-chief of a former personal assistant to the CBN governor, Adetola John. While leading the witness in his testimony, Oyedepo reminded him of his earlier testimony in November 2024, where he stated that he received the sum of $400,000 cash from the former director of the ICT Department, John Ayoh, and handed it over to Emefiele in his office.

The witness, Adetola, at the time, had also said that he managed office correspondence and visitors of the former CBN governor in Lagos while one Eric Odoh, the personal assistant to the CBN governor in Abuja did the same in the FCT office of the CBN.