Emefiele’s Jurisdiction Challenge Dismissed, Trial to Continue
Lagos, Nigeria – In a significant development, the Lagos State Special Offences Court today dismissed an application filed by former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin Emefiele, challenging the court’s authority to hear the $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion fraud charges against him.
Justice Rahman Oshodi ruled that the court had jurisdiction to try Emefiele and his co-defendant, Henry Omoile, while striking out four of the 26 charges due to lack of legal definition.
The EFCC had accused Emefiele of abuse of office and illegal allocation of funds. Emefiele’s legal team argued that the Lagos court lacked territorial jurisdiction and that some charges were not recognized under Nigerian law.
However, the court upheld the majority of the charges, stating that sufficient evidence connected the alleged crimes to Lagos.
The trial will now resume on February 24, 2025.
