Godwin Emefiele former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor’s bid to stop the $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion fraud case against him has been dismissed by the Lagos State Special Offences Court.
Justice Rahman Oshodi ruled that the court has jurisdiction to try Godwin Emefiele and his co-defendant, Henry Omoile, on the 26 charges filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
However, the judge struck out four of the counts due to lack of jurisdiction, stating that the allocation of foreign exchange without reason is not defined as an offense under any written law.
The court held that the prosecution has established sufficient territorial nexus in the case, and the objection challenging the court’s territorial jurisdiction over counts eight to 26 fails.
Former CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele’s counsel, Mr. Olalekan Ojo (SAN), had argued that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case in Lagos, citing that the alleged offenses fell outside the territorial reach of the Lagos Special Offences Court.
Despite this, the court has adjourned the case for trial continuation on February 24, 2025.
The EFCC had arraigned Godwin Emefiele on charges bordering on abuse of office and illegal allocation of $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion.
Emefiele was suspended as CBN governor on June 14, 2023, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government.
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