Court Adjourns Ruling On Witness Eligibility In Godwin Emefiele’s 20-Count Trial To Nov. 27

Justice Hamza Muazu of an Abuja High Court on Wednesday adjourned until November 27 for a ruling on the eligibility of a witness from the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (OAGF) to testify in the trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele.

Emefiele is facing prosecution in case CR/577/2023, involving an amended 20-count charge including criminal breach of trust, conferring corrupt advantage, forgery, conspiracy to obtain by false pretence, and obtaining money by false pretence during his tenure as CBN governor.

The charges allege that Emefiele used his position to award six contracts for vehicle supply to April 1616, a company in which Sa’adatu Ramalan Yaro, a CBN staff member, is a director and shareholder, between 2018 and 2022, totaling N1.2 billion. Emefiele has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

At the resumed hearing, Emefiele’s counsel, Mathew Burkaa SAN, objected to the prosecution calling its 11th witness, Alvan Grumman, arguing that his name was included in additional proof of evidence filed on October 15, 2024, which the court had struck out in its March 20 ruling. Burkaa contended that the prosecution had pursued a vertical appeal and that returning to the court to call the witness constituted an abuse of court processes.

Prosecution counsel Rotimi Oyedepo SAN countered that the March 20 ruling specifically involved witnesses Tommy Odama and Ifeanyi Omeke, not Grumman, and that Grumman, as an investigator, possessed material facts crucial to the prosecution’s case. He urged the court to allow the witness to testify.

Oyedepo also informed the court that separate applications had been filed for subpoenas of Odama and Omeke, who hold critical evidence for the prosecution. Emefiele’s counsel opposed these applications, arguing that the subpoenas were filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), not the OAGF, and that the prosecution could not revisit the same prayers after filing an appeal.

Justice Muazu reserved ruling on the objections and the subpoenas, adjourning proceedings to November 27 for determination.

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