News
Court rejects EFCC’s request to file additional evidence against Emefiele
A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama has dismissed an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeking to file additional proof of evidence in the ongoing trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
Delivering the ruling on Thursday, March 20, Justice Hamza Muazu stated that the EFCC’s attempt to introduce fresh evidence came over a year after the initial charges were filed, raising concerns about fairness in the trial. The anti-graft agency had also requested to present two additional witnesses, Tommy Odama John and Ifeanyi Omeke, whose extra-judicial statements were made in August 2024, months after the trial had commenced.
Justice Muazu ruled that the EFCC had already submitted additional evidence on February 12, 2024, which included testimonies from former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha and one Bamayi Mairiga. He described the EFCC’s latest move as an attempt to ambush the defendant, violating his right to a fair hearing, as he was not confronted with the new evidence during the initial investigation.
The court held that allowing fresh evidence after several amendments to the charge would be prejudicial to Emefiele. It also emphasized that under the law, an investigation must be completed before charges are filed, not pursued during an ongoing trial.
Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.
She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others
