Emefiele Trial: Defence Alleges EFCC Pressured Co-accused to Implicate Ex-CBN Governor

Wale Igbintade

The lawyer representing the second defendant, Henry Omoile, in the ongoing trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, yesterday accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of attempting to pressure his client into implicating the former apex bank chief.

The lawyer, Nnamdi Ofia, who testified during the trial-within-trial ordered by Justice Rahman Oshodi to determine the voluntariness of Omoile’s statement to the EFCC, alleged that investigators made several promises to his client in exchange for incriminating Emefiele.

Emefiele and Omoile are standing trial on charges bordering on accepting gratification, receiving gifts through agents, corruption, and fraudulent receipt of property.

The defendants also alleged that EFCC conferred corrupt advantages on associates, in violation of the Corrupt Practices Act, 2000. Both men pleaded not guilty.

At the resumed hearing yesterday, Ofia told the court that Omoile informed him that the head of the EFCC interrogation team assured him of bail, and possibly that he would not be charged, if he cooperated by providing incriminating evidence against the first defendant.

The witness further testified that the interrogation was conducted in a question-and-answer format and that his client was required to give “satisfactory” answers before being allowed to write them on the statement sheet.

He said, “On several occasions, questions were put to the second defendant and he answered, but he was not allowed to write them down because the answers did not conform with what the interrogators wanted. I objected to this many times.”

Ofia added that the interrogation session of February 26, 2024 ended with investigators informing him that his client would be detained because they were “not done with him”.

According to him, when he returned the following day, February 27, 2024, he discovered that Omoile was being interrogated in his absence.

He said he questioned the process, but was confronted by an officer identified as David, who challenged his right to intervene.

“Tempers rose and David walked me out of the premises,” he said.

Ofia further told the court that he reported the incident to the head of the team, who advised him not to worry and asked him to wait in the reception area.

He said he was not allowed to render legal services to his client until about 8pm, when Omoile was returned to the detention centre.

He further stated he was later informed that his client had refused to cooperate and would not be released, prompting him to apply for bail from the EFCC zonal head.

He said Omoile was detained for 21 days, after which he filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit at the Federal High Court in Lagos.

He added that Justice Muslim Hassan granted bail but ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre pending the perfection of the bail conditions.

However, under cross-examination by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, the witness admitted that Omoile was cautioned in his presence and that he signed the caution.

He also admitted he participated in the statement-taking process and was aware that whatever his client wrote could be used against him in court.

When asked whether he lodged any complaint or petition over the alleged misconduct of the investigative team, he said he did not.

He further admitted that the judge who heard the fundamental rights suit did not find the EFCC guilty of misconduct and that his client was not harassed in his presence.

Oshodi adjourned the matter till January 16 for continuation of the hearing.