Former Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele’s trial over alleged fraud involving $4.5bn and N2.8bn took a dramatic turn on Monday when his legal team, led by Olalekan Ojo (SAN), formally requested the withdrawal of Justice Rahman Oshodi from the proceedings. They claimed the judge had demonstrated bias, jeopardizing the fairness of the trial.
Emefiele faces 19 counts, including abuse of office, gratification, and corrupt demands-brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Initially, the EFCC had filed 22 counts against him and a co-defendant, Henry Omoile, but the court later struck out four abuse of office charges, narrowing the case to the remaining allegations.
During Monday’s hearing at the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja, the defense highlighted a crucial piece of testimony. The seventh prosecution witness, John Adetola, testified that he had collected $400,000 from John Ayoh and delivered the money directly to Emefiele’s office, adding weight to the prosecution’s case.
The controversy deepened when the prosecution attempted to introduce WhatsApp messages allegedly from Omoile, an associate of Emefiele. Although the defense objected-arguing that the document was admitted solely for identification—the judge allowed the witness to read from it, a move that the defense cited as evidence of potential judicial bias.
In addition to demanding the judge’s recusal, Emefiele’s counsel also sought leave to appeal a previous court ruling on jurisdiction. EFCC counsel Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) countered the motion, asserting that the proceedings had been conducted fairly and accusing the defense of attempting to delay the case through procedural maneuvers.
