Court to Rule on Emefiele’s Jurisdictional Objection in $4.5bn Fraud Case on January 7, 2025
The Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja has scheduled a ruling for January 7, 2025, regarding an objection raised by former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, concerning the $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion fraud charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Emefiele, alongside his co-defendant, Henry Omoile, faces 26 charges related to alleged financial misconduct, which were brought before the court by the EFCC. During a hearing on Thursday, Emefiele’s lawyer, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), argued that the court lacked territorial jurisdiction to hear the case in Lagos. Ojo contended that the offences, including abuse of office, occurred outside the Ikeja Special Offences Court’s jurisdiction. He further claimed that the charges violated Section 36(12) of the Nigerian Constitution and asserted that the actions in question did not constitute legally recognised offences.
Ojo also argued that the Lagos State House of Assembly lacked the legislative authority over matters on the Exclusive Legislative List, rendering Section 73 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011 inapplicable to the case. He called for the dismissal of the first four counts in the amended charge sheet filed on April 4, 2024, on the grounds that the alleged offences took place outside the court’s jurisdiction.
In response, EFCC counsel Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) defended the court’s jurisdiction, asserting that the charges involved economic and financial crimes, which fall under the EFCC’s purview. He emphasized that the evidence presented confirmed Lagos as the appropriate venue for the trial, with testimonies supporting the claim that the offences occurred within the court’s territorial reach. Oyedepo further argued that the defence’s objections lacked factual basis and supporting evidence.
Following arguments from both parties, Justice Rahman Oshodi adjourned the case to January 7, 2025, for a decision on the jurisdictional objection.
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