Former CBN governor asks court to reject statements, says they were obtained through torture and oppressive detention.
Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, has challenged the admissibility of statements the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeks to tender against him in his ongoing alleged $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion fraud trial.
Through his counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), Emefiele told the Lagos State High Court that the statements were obtained after he was allegedly held incommunicado for over 157 days under oppressive and dehumanising conditions, making them inadmissible under the Evidence Act and Anti-Torture Act.
The prosecution, however, argued that the statements were not confessional and opposed a trial-within-trial, while withdrawing one statement containing only Emefiele’s personal details.
Justice Rahman Oshodi adjourned ruling on the admissibility of the disputed statements until July 9, 2026, while the substantive trial will continue on October 6–9, 2026.