EFCC Challenges Emefiele's Jurisdiction Objection in $4.5 Billion Fraud Case, Ruling Set for January 7
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has urged Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos State Special Offences Court to dismiss an application filed by former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele, challenging the court’s jurisdiction over his case.
The court, located in Ikeja, Lagos, has set January 7, 2025, to deliver a ruling on Emefiele’s objection to the $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion fraud charges brought against him.
Representing the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, argued that the application is an attempt to derail the prosecution’s mandate to pursue economic and financial crime cases. He maintained that the Lagos State High Court possesses "unfettered jurisdiction" to adjudicate the matter.
Emefiele’s counsel, Olalekan Ojo, SAN, countered by asserting that the charges against his client, particularly those alleging abuse of office, raise constitutional questions that cannot be addressed by a state high court. Ojo argued that counts one to four of the 26-count charge lack legal grounding and urged the court to strike them out for lack of jurisdiction.
Oyedepo rebutted this claim, emphasizing that the alleged crimes fall squarely under the EFCC’s purview as economic and financial offences, all of which were purportedly committed in Lagos.
Justice Oshodi reserved the ruling for January 7, 2025, to determine the court's jurisdiction in the case.
Emefiele and his co-defendant, Herry Omoile, have pleaded not guilty to charges including accepting gratification, corruption, and fraudulent receipt of property. The EFCC alleges that their actions violated provisions of the Corrupt Practices Act 2000, conferring undue advantages on associates.
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