Former Godwin Emefiele has urged a Lagos Special Offences Court to reject statements the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeks to rely on in his ongoing $4.5 billion and ₦2.8 billion fraud trial, claiming they were obtained through torture, intimidation, and prolonged unlawful detention.
During a trial-within-a-trial, Emefiele’s legal team argued that the statements were not made voluntarily, alleging that the former Central Bank governor was subjected to inhumane treatment while in custody. His lawyers maintained that he was denied his constitutional rights and coerced into making the statements now being tendered as evidence.
The EFCC, however, rejected the allegations, insisting that investigators followed due process and that the statements were made voluntarily without coercion or torture. The anti-graft agency urged the court to admit the statements as evidence in the corruption case.
After hearing arguments from both parties, the trial judge reserved ruling on the admissibility of the disputed statements to a later date, while proceedings in the high-profile corruption trial continue.
