Justice Rahman Oshodi Sets May 4 for Ruling on Disputed EFCC Statements in Emefiele Associate’s Corruption Trial

Justice Oshodi to rule May 4 on admissibility of Henry Omoile’s statements in the multi-billion dollar corruption trial involving ex-CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 18, 2026, 4:50 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Peoples Gazette

The Conflict Over Custodial Voluntariness

The legal proceedings involving the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, have entered a critical phase focusing on the procedural integrity of the investigation. Justice Rahman Oshodi has scheduled a ruling for May 4 to determine whether extra judicial statements made by Emefiele’s associate, Henry Omoile, can be admitted as evidence. The trial-within-trial was triggered by Omoile’s assertion that his communications with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) were not given freely. This decision is expected to have significant implications for the broader 19 count charge against the former apex bank chief.

Defense Challenges Lack of Digital Accountability

Lead counsel for the second defendant, Adeyinka Kotoye (SAN), has urged the court to reject the prosecution’s submissions on the grounds of non compliance with modern criminal procedure laws. Kotoye argued that the EFCC failed to produce video recordings of the interrogation sessions, a requirement he claims is mandated by the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State. The defense maintains that Omoile was subjected to trauma and forced to sign statements after being promised he would be released from custody. According to Kotoye, the absence of video evidence creates an unbridgeable gap in verifying whether the defendant’s rights were respected during the interrogation.

Prosecution Defends Legal Representation Presence

In a robust rebuttal, EFCC counsel Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) characterized the defense’s objections as an abuse of the court process. Oyedepo, who also serves as the Director of Public Prosecutions in the Federal Ministry of Justice, argued that the statements were obtained in substantial compliance with national laws. He specifically noted that Omoile’s lawyer, Nnamdi Offia, was present during the questioning, which he claims serves as a sufficient safeguard against coercion. According to Oyedepo, the fact that the defendant refused to implicate Emefiele in any wrongdoing within those very statements proves that he was not acting under duress or external pressure.