EFCC Tried to Force My Client to Frame Emefiele, Lawyer Tells Court
By Shalom Ikuvbogie
A defence lawyer in the alleged $4.5 billion fraud trial involving former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of trying to coerce his client into implicating the ex-apex bank chief.
Testifying before Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos State High Court on Thursday, counsel to the second defendant, Henry Omoile, Mr. Nnamdi Offial, said EFCC operatives pressured Omoile during interrogation to make statements that would indict Emefiele.
Offial gave the account during a trial-within-trial ordered by the court to determine whether Omoile’s statements to the EFCC were made voluntarily.
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According to the lawyer, investigators allegedly promised his client bail and the possibility of not being charged if he cooperated by providing incriminating information against Emefiele, who is standing trial alongside Omoile on corruption-related charges. Both men have pleaded not guilty.
Offial told the court that the interrogation was conducted in a strict question-and-answer format, claiming that his client was only allowed to write down responses the investigators considered acceptable.
He said several of Omoile’s answers were rejected, insisting that the EFCC officials wanted statements that aligned with their expectations. He added that he repeatedly objected to the process.
The lawyer further alleged that on February 26, 2024, EFCC officers informed him that Omoile would remain in detention as the interrogation had not been concluded.
He also narrated an incident the following day in which he challenged the questioning of his client in his absence, an action he said resulted in an altercation with an EFCC officer who allegedly ordered him out of the premises.
Offial told the court that Omoile was detained for refusing to cooperate and that he later applied for bail from the EFCC zonal office. He said his client spent 21 days in detention before approaching the Federal High Court, Lagos, where bail was granted, though Omoile was remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre pending the fulfilment of bail conditions.
However, under cross-examination by prosecution counsel, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, Offial admitted that his client was cautioned in his presence and that he signed the caution. He also confirmed that he took part in the statement-taking process and knew the statement could be used in court.
The lawyer further admitted that he did not petition the EFCC over the alleged conduct of its officers and that the Federal High Court did not find the commission guilty of misconduct in the fundamental rights suit. He also acknowledged that Omoile was not harassed in his presence during interrogation.
Justice Oshodi adjourned the case to January 16 for the continuation of the trial-within-trial.