An Ikeja Special Offences Court has admitted
into evidence a WhatsApp conversation tendered by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), allegedly linking former Central Bank
of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, to a $4.5 billion fraud
case.
Justice Rahman Oshodi overruled objections from
the defence and admitted the messages as Exhibit G, alongside several
mobile phones, including one belonging to key witness John Adetola.
Emefiele faces 19 counts of alleged
gratification and abuse of office, while his co-defendant, Henry Omoile,
faces three counts related to unlawful acceptance of gifts.
WhatsApp Messages Detail Alleged Cash
Transfers
During Thursday’s hearing, EFCC investigator Alvan
Grumnaan read out WhatsApp exchanges between Omoile and Adetola. In one
message, Omoile allegedly directed Adetola to deliver $400,000 to “Oga,”
referring to Emefiele.
Grumnaan testified that Adetola confirmed handing the
cash to Ikechukwu-Ayoh, Emefiele’s personal assistant, first in Lekki
and later at the CBN Lagos office. Ayoh allegedly received another $200,000
from the same source.
The EFCC investigator added that CBN contractor
Victor Oyedua corroborated the claims, admitting he paid the sums under
pressure to “settle management” and expedite contract payments.
Documents and Devices Entered as Exhibits
The prosecution also tendered a CBN letter dated
February 24, 2024, described as a “primary piece of evidence.” Despite
defence objections over certification, the court admitted it as Exhibit H,
while Adetola’s MI10T mobile phone was admitted as Exhibit I.
Defence lawyers Olalekan Ojo (SAN) and Kazeem
Gbadamosi (SAN) objected to the admissibility of additional statements,
alleging they were obtained under duress. Justice Oshodi adjourned the case to November
21 for a report on forensic inspection and December 2 for a trial-within-trial
on the disputed statements.
Forensic Dispute
Earlier in the week, Ojo accused the EFCC of
obstructing a court-ordered forensic analysis on September 24 and 25,
despite the presence of both legal teams and the court’s registrar.
In response, EFCC counsel Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN)
said the defence’s initial analysis was “procedurally defective,” alleging the
expert lacked a verifiable laboratory and conducted part of the examination
online, risking data integrity.
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