Segun Atanda/
Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, on Tuesday asked the Lagos State Special Offences Court for permission to engage a forensic expert to examine a mobile device from which WhatsApp conversations were extracted as evidence in his ongoing fraud trial.
Emefiele and his co-defendant, Henry Omoile, are facing a 19-count charge bordering on money laundering and fraud involving $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleges that Emefiele received $17.1 million from a businessman, Raja Punjab, through an intermediary, Monday Osazuwa, as a reward for facilitating foreign exchange allocations from the CBN.
Testifying on Tuesday, EFCC operative Alvan Gurumnaan told the court that between September 2020 and June 2, 2023—just days before Emefiele’s suspension as CBN Governor—the former apex bank chief allegedly received several cash payments totaling $17.1 million via Osazuwa. He claimed the money was delivered to Emefiele’s residence and handed over to Omoile.
Prosecuting counsel Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) sought to tender WhatsApp printouts of conversations between a businessman and his employer as evidence. Emefiele’s counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), did not object to the tendering of the device or the messages but insisted that the defence be allowed to inspect the device—an iPhone 2—either personally or through a forensic expert to verify the authenticity and completeness of the messages.
Ojo argued that it was necessary to confirm that the printouts genuinely originated from the device in question.
The prosecution objected to the oral application and urged the court to compel the defence to file a formal request. Yinka Kotoye (SAN), counsel to the second defendant, Omoile, noted that the defence had earlier sought access to the device, but the prosecution had failed to provide it.
In his ruling, Justice Rahman Oshodi directed the defence to file a formal application seeking leave to engage a forensic expert to examine both the device and the printed conversations.
Earlier, Gurumnaan, an Assistant Commander with the EFCC who joined the agency in 2008, told the court that his team launched the investigation following multiple intelligence reports alleging abuse of office, gratification, and living beyond means by Emefiele during his tenure as CBN Governor.
He said his team sent letters to the CBN, the Code of Conduct Bureau, the Corporate Affairs Commission, and several commercial banks as part of the investigation. Several CBN staff were also interviewed in Abuja and Lagos.
Justice Oshodi adjourned the matter to October 7, 8, and 9, 2025, for continued hearing.
0Related posts:
Cashless Nigeria: Why Emefiele May Lose the War – Femi Kusa …Musings on Buhari, Tinubu, Peter Obi, CBN
Tinubu Busts Emefiele’s Crimes, Uncovers 593 Rogue Foreign Bank Accounts
Why CBN Must Reverse New Banking Charges (Part 1)
How Emefiele Bought $2.5m House in Texas as CBN Governor under Buhari’s Watch
CBN vs MTN: Court Hears Applications on $8.1B Fine for ‘Scam’ in December
Wild Goose Chase in Lightening, Thunder, and Rain