The embattled former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has asked the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to quash the eight-count charge filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged property fraud.
Emefiele, alongside one Eric Ocheme, who is said to be at large was arraigned before Justice Yusuf Halilu of the FCT High Court, Maitama, in case number FCT/HC/CR/350/2025. The EFCC accused the duo of having control of properties reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained, contrary to and punishable under Section 319 of the Penal Code Law.
The property in question comprises 753 luxury apartments located at Plot 109, Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, Abuja, covering about 150,462.86 square metres.
The EFCC also alleged that Emefiele and Ocheme unlawfully kept billions of naira in proxy accounts with Zenith Bank.
The former CBN governor, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
In a preliminary objection, Emefiele through his counsel, Matthew Burkaa (SAN), challenged the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the matter, describing the charges as unconstitutional, illegal, malicious, and a gross abuse of judicial process.
Moving the application during Friday’s hearing, Burkaa argued that the proof of evidence filed by the prosecution failed to link Emefiele to any of the counts. He urged the court to dismiss the case with punitive costs, describing it as an abuse of court process.
In response, prosecuting counsel Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) opposed the objection, insisting that evidence presented before the court directly connected the defendant to the properties. He argued that the application could not be determined without considering the facts of the case.
After hearing both parties, Justice Halilu directed them to proceed with the trial, noting that the court would consider the application in due course.
The prosecution then called its first witness (PW1), Mshelia Arhyel B, a Compliance Officer with Zenith Bank Plc.
Mshelia told the court that, upon EFCC’s request, he prepared and printed the statements of account of three companies, MG Properties Limited, Ifedigo Integrated Services, and Kelvito Integrated Services, and signed the certificates of identification. He said the transactions in the accounts reflected normal business activities with Zenith Bank.
The account statements were tendered by the prosecution and admitted as exhibits.
During cross-examination, Burkaa questioned the witness, who admitted that although he had worked at Zenith Bank for 18 years, he could not link Emefiele to any of the three accounts.
Mshelia said he did not know the owners of the accounts and was not invited by the EFCC to make any statement regarding them. He added that he was only informed that he would testify on the morning of the hearing.
As a Compliance Officer, he confirmed that he did not verify the ownership of the three companies but recognised Emefiele as his former boss.
‘I would definitely recognise his name if it was on the account opening package. I did not see his name either as the person receiving or depositing money,’ the witness told the court.
He further stated that he did not know the purpose of the deposits and transfers reflected in the accounts, adding: ‘I never saw his (Emefiele’s) name either depositing or receiving money. I don’t know the purpose of all those payments, and the names mentioned are not standing trial.’
Justice Halilu adjourned the case to November 26 for continuation of trial.