The Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja has assumed jurisdiction over allegations of gratification, corrupt demands, and fraudulent receipt of property leveled against former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
In a ruling delivered on Wednesday, Justice Rahman Oshodi determined that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) successfully demonstrated that the court has territorial jurisdiction to hear counts 8 to 20 of the 26-count charge against Emefiele, based on evidence presented in the case file.
However, the court concurred with Emefiele’s defense counsel that counts 1 to 4 of the charges are unconstitutional, as they are not grounded in any existing Nigerian laws.
Emefiele was arraigned by the EFCC on April 8, 2024, on a 26-count charge, including alleged abuse of office and the irregular allocation of $4.5 billion and ₦2.8 billion.
The former CBN Governor was specifically mentioned in counts 1 to 4 as well as counts 8 to 26 bordering on alleged abuse of office, contrary to and punishable under Section 73 of the Criminal Law of Lagos 2011; accepting gratification, contrary and punishable under Section 8 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000; corrupt demand, contrary and punishable under Section 10 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000; receiving property fraudulently obtained, contrary to and punishable under Section 328 of the Criminal Law of Lagos 2011; and conferring corrupt advantage, contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
Justice Rahman Oshodi, in his ruling, stated that while counts 1 to 4 pertain to the general offence of abuse of office under criminal law, the specific actions alleged—namely, the allocation of foreign exchange without a bid—are not classified as offences under any written law. As a result, these counts were struck out.
On counts 8 to 26, the judge affirmed that the evidence provided met the legal standards necessary to establish the court’s territorial jurisdiction.
However, Justice Oshodi clarified that this ruling pertains solely to the jurisdictional challenge and does not address the substantive allegations against Godwin Emefiele.
The court dismissed the objection questioning its territorial jurisdiction over counts 8 to 26, asserting that the prosecution had sufficiently established a territorial connection to require Emefiele to answer the charges.
The case was adjourned to February 24 and 26 for the continuation of the trial.