Court dismisses EFCC witnesses in Emefiele procurement fraud trial

Court dismisses EFCC witnesses in Emefiele procurement fraud trial

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sitting in Maitama on Thursday dismissed three subpoenaed witnesses presented by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the ongoing trial of Godwin Emefiele, former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, over alleged procurement fraud totaling N1.2 billion.

In a ruling delivered by Justice Hamza Muazu, the court held that the witnesses’ names were part of a supplementary list of evidence the anti-graft agency sought to submit after the case was initially dismissed on March 20, 2025. The court stated that since the EFCC had filed an appeal against the ruling, it must await the Court of Appeal’s determination on the admissibility of the proposed witnesses.

“The ruling of March 20 is now the subject of an appeal. This court cannot change its own decision by allowing these subpoenaed witnesses to testify,” Justice Muazu said, adjourning the trial to January 29, 2026.

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Emefiele, who led the CBN from 2014 to 2023, faces a 20-count charge alleging improper procurement of 43 vehicles worth N1.2 billion between 2018 and 2020. He is also accused of granting a fraudulent contract advantage to Mrs. Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro of April 1616 Investment Ltd. for 37 Toyota Hilux vehicles valued at N854 million.

The former CBN governor, represented by Mr. Mathew Burkaa, SAN, argued that the EFCC’s attempt to introduce new witnesses after the trial began amounted to trial by ambush and violated his right to a fair hearing under Section 36(2) of the 1999 Constitution. Burkaa described the move as a procedural misuse by the EFCC.

The EFCC, through Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, countered that the witnesses, including Alvan Grumman, were integral to the investigation and could clarify critical aspects of the case. However, the court ruled that allowing additional testimony would be unfair, given the case’s advanced stage and prior rulings.

Justice Muazu, while upholding the dismissal of the EFCC witnesses, clarified that the trial would proceed to ensure a decision is rendered on its merits. The court also refused to expunge testimony from former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha and Bamayi Haruna Mairiga, citing procedural compliance.

The trial, which began on November 28, 2023, continues to attract national attention as a high-profile case involving Nigeria’s former central bank leadership and alleged financial misconduct.

Court dismisses EFCC witnesses in Emefiele procurement fraud trial