Kehinde Fajobi
The Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja has assumed jurisdiction over allegations of corruption and gratification against former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele.
In a ruling on Wednesday, Justice Rahman Oshodi stated that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) successfully established the court’s territorial jurisdiction for counts 8 to 20 of the 26-count charge.
These charges include alleged abuse of office, accepting gratification, corrupt demands, and receiving fraudulently obtained property.
Justice Oshodi, however, struck out counts 1 to 4, agreeing with Emefiele’s defence that these were unconstitutional as they did not relate to any existing Nigerian laws.
Emefiele was arraigned on April 8, 2024, on a 26-count charge, including allegations of irregular allocation of $4.5 billion and ₦2.8 billion.
Justice Oshodi noted that while counts 1 to 4 cited general abuse of office, the specific acts alleged, such as foreign exchange allocation without a bidding process, were not recognised as offences under Nigerian law.
He further ruled that evidence presented for counts 8 to 26 established sufficient territorial links to justify the court’s jurisdiction.
“The prosecution has shown a territorial nexus sufficient to compel the defendant to answer these charges,” the judge said.
The court adjourned the trial to 24 and 26 February for continuation.