Cynthia Ezegwu
Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, on Tuesday, urged an Abuja High Court to dismiss the prosecution in his ongoing trial over alleged procurement fraud.
Emefiele is facing trial before Justice Hamza Muazu on an amended 20-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust, conferring corrupt advantage, forgery, conspiracy, and obtaining money by false pretences. The charges, filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), allege that Emefiele awarded contracts worth over ₦1.2 billion to April 1616, a company linked to a CBN staff member, between 2018 and 2022. He has pleaded not guilty.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, Emefiele’s counsel, Mathew Burkaa (SAN), asked the court to dismiss the prosecution for failing to appear despite being aware of the adjourned date. He argued that neither lead prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), nor any representative was in court, even though the case was fixed for continuation of hearing.
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Burkaa said he was informed by the registrar through WhatsApp that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had sent a letter seeking adjournment, but stressed that the charges were filed by the AGF’s office, not the EFCC. He maintained that Emefiele and his legal team had travelled from Lagos for the trial and insisted that the prosecution should not be indulged.
Justice Muazu, however, declined the defence’s application, stating that the court would grant the prosecution one last opportunity. He warned that failure to appear at the next sitting would attract necessary judicial steps.