‘EFCC Forced Me to Lie  Against Emefiele’, Alleges Witness

Stories by Steve Aya

Drama unfolded at the Lagos Special Offences Court in Ikeja on Friday as Henry Omoile, a co-Defendant in the alleged $4.5 billion fraud trial involving former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, told the court that he lied in the statement he made to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Omoile made the claim while testifying during a trial-within-trial before Justice Rahman Oshodi, which was instituted to determine the voluntariness of statements he allegedly made to EFCC investigators during the probe.

According to him, the statements marked as Exhibits TWT 1–4 were not genuine confessions, insisting that investigators dictated what he should write. “I did not confess in that statement. I lied in my statement. EFCC threatened that if I did not write what they wanted, they would charge me to court”, he told the court.

The former CBN Governor is facing a 19-count charge bordering on receiving gratification and making corrupt demands while in office, while Omoile is being prosecuted on a three-count charge relating to unlawful acceptance of gifts as an agent. Both Defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

However, under cross-examination by Prosecution Counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, Omoile admitted that he was cautioned before writing the statement and that he signed the cautionary words. He also acknowledged that although the EFCC filed a counter-affidavit opposing his claims, he did not present the document before the court.

Omoile further alleged that EFCC investigators pressured him to implicate Emefiele, claiming that the head of the investigative team promised he could secure bail or possibly avoid prosecution, if he cooperated. He, however, admitted that he did not file any formal complaint against the investigators over the alleged threats. Justice Oshodi adjourned the matter until April 17, 2026, for adoption of final written addresses.