The Ikeja Special Offences Court has admitted into evidence a series of WhatsApp messages tendered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which allegedly link former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, to a $4.5 billion fraud and abuse of office scandal.
Justice Rahman Oshodi on Thursday overruled objections by the defence team and accepted the WhatsApp conversation as Exhibit G, alongside several mobile devices recovered during investigation — including one belonging to a key witness, Mr. John Adetola.
Emefiele is currently standing trial on a 19-count charge bordering on corruption, gratification, and unlawful receipt of funds. His co-defendant, Mr. Henry Omoile, faces three counts of accepting unlawful gifts.
WhatsApp Chats Reveal Alleged Cash Deliveries
During the hearing, EFCC investigator Mr. Alvan Grumnaan testified that WhatsApp exchanges between Omoile and Adetola contained discussions about alleged cash deliveries to Emefiele.
In one of the messages, Omoile allegedly instructed Adetola to deliver $400,000 to “Oga” — a name investigators said referred to Emefiele.
“During our investigation, we asked for clarification,” Grumnaan told the court.
“He explained that the conversation referred to how to meet Ikechukwu-Ayoh to collect $400,000 on behalf of Emefiele.”
Adetola reportedly confirmed to investigators that he met Ikechukwu-Ayoh, Emefiele’s personal assistant, in Lekki, and later handed the money over at the CBN office in Lagos.
According to Grumnaan, Ikechukwu-Ayoh corroborated the claim, admitting to collecting another $200,000 from the same contractor and delivering it to Emefiele.
The EFCC investigator added that CBN contractor Mr. Victor Oyedua also confirmed giving both sums to Ayoh, saying he felt pressured to “settle management” to facilitate his company’s pending contract payments.
Documents and Devices Tendered in Court
The EFCC further tendered a February 24, 2024 CBN letter, described as primary evidence obtained during the investigation.
Defence counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN) and Kazeem Gbadamosi (SAN), objected to the document’s admissibility on the grounds that it was an uncertified photocopy. However, Justice Oshodi dismissed the objection and marked the documents as Exhibit H.
Adetola’s mobile device, a MI10T smartphone, was also tendered and admitted as Exhibit I, after which the prosecution analyzed and presented the WhatsApp conversation in open court.
Defence Challenges Admissibility of Statements
The EFCC additionally sought to admit statements allegedly made by the second defendant during interrogation. Defence lawyers objected, claiming the statements were obtained under duress.
The court subsequently adjourned proceedings to November 21 for a report on the forensic inspection of digital devices, and to December 2 for a trial-within-trial to determine the admissibility of the contested statements.
Defence, EFCC Clash Over Forensic Process
At Tuesday’s sitting, Emefiele’s lead counsel, Mr. Olalekan Ojo (SAN), accused the EFCC of deliberately obstructing a court-ordered forensic analysis of the exhibits.
Ojo told the court that despite the presence of both legal teams and the court registrar on September 24 and 25, the examination could not proceed due to EFCC’s alleged non-cooperation.
In response, EFCC counsel Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) insisted that the initial forensic process carried out by the defence was procedurally defective.
“The defence expert has no verifiable laboratory or physical office and performed part of the analysis online,” Oyedepo said, arguing that this approach could compromise data integrity on the seized devices.
Background
Emefiele, who served as CBN Governor from 2014 to 2023, has been embroiled in multiple corruption investigations since leaving office. He was first arrested in June 2023 following his suspension by then-President Bola Tinubu.
He faces separate trials involving alleged procurement fraud, abuse of office, and illegal foreign exchange allocations during his tenure.
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