A Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja on Thursday, March 20, rejected the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) attempt to introduce additional evidence against former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin Emefiele.
Justice Hamza Muazu ruled against the prosecution’s move in response to an application filed by Emefiele’s legal team, led by Mathew Burkaa (SAN). The former CBN governor is facing trial on alleged procurement fraud in case FCT/HC/CR/577/2023.
The EFCC had sought to introduce new witness testimonies from Tommy John and Ifeanyi Omeke, whose statements were made in August 2024, a year after the initial charges were filed in August 2023.
However, Emefiele opposed the move, arguing it was an attempt to introduce fresh evidence more than 365 days after the case began.
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Justice Muazu noted that the EFCC had already added additional proof of evidence in February 2024, including testimony from former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, and Bamayi Haruna Mairiga.
He ruled that the EFCC’s attempt to introduce more evidence at this stage amounted to “trial by ambush” and a violation of Emefiele’s right to a fair hearing. “Charges should be filed after investigations are completed, not while a trial is already underway,” he stated.
While rejecting the additional evidence, Justice Muazu declined to strike out the charges, stating that the trial was already near completion and should be concluded on its merits.
He also refused Emefiele’s request to expunge the testimonies of Mustapha and Mairiga from the records. The court has fixed June 3 for the continuation of the trial.
Recall that the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, ordered the final forfeiture of $1,426,175.14 linked to Emefiele, on Thursday, March 6, 2025.
The funds were found to be proceeds of unlawful activities and were traced to Donatone Limited’s account at Titan Trust Bank.
According to an EFCC investigator, the money was funneled through foreign accounts and laundered via Mauritius before being returned to Nigeria under disguise.