Ex-CBN governor Emefiele defeats EFCC in courtroom, will get approval to rent forensic consultants

The Lagos State Particular Offences Court docket in Ikeja has granted Godwin Emefiele, former governor of the Central {Bank} of Nigeria (CBN), permission to interact forensic consultants to look at WhatsApp conversations and a cell gadget tendered as proof in his fraud trial.

Ruling on Monday, Rahman Oshodi, the presiding decide, gave the order after Emefiele’s counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), utilized for go away to permit an impartial forensic skilled to examine the handset, marked “iPhone 2,” and confirm the authenticity of the extracted WhatsApp messages already admitted as displays.

“The defence seeks the courtroom’s go away to name a forensic skilled to look at each the cell gadget and printed conversations allegedly linked to the defendants,” Ojo instructed the courtroom.

Emefiele is standing trial alongside his co-defendant, Henry Omoile, on 19 counts bordering on abuse of workplace, receiving gratification, corruption, and fraudulent property transactions involving $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion.

The costs had been filed by the {Economic} and {Financial} Crimes Fee (EFCC).

Nevertheless, Chineye Okezie, counsel to the EFCC, opposed the applying, arguing that displays admitted throughout trial ought to stay within the courtroom’s custody till proceedings are concluded.

She faulted the defence for failing to reveal the identify of the forensic laboratory or the {qualifications} of the personnel anticipated to deal with the gadget.

Okezie urged the courtroom to mandate that the EFCC’s director of the forensic division choose the laboratory, make sure the train is monitored by a prosecution-nominated consultant, and protect the chain of custody.

Delivering his ruling, Oshodi held that the defence was entitled to an impartial forensic evaluate supplied safeguards had been in place to guard the integrity of the proof.

He ordered that the inspection be carried out within the presence of representatives from all events, with both sides allowed to deliver one lawyer and one forensic skilled.

A courtroom consultant will supervise the train, which should happen between 10 a.m. and a couple of p.m. on September 24 and 26, 2025.

The decide directed that the chain of custody of Exhibit E (iPhone 2) should be preserved and that the gadget stay within the courtroom’s custody always.

The trial was adjourned to October 7 and eight for continuation, and October 9 for additional listening to.