A lawyer representing Henry Omoile, a co-defendant in the ongoing corruption trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor Godwin Emefiele, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of attempting to compel his client to provide incriminating evidence against the ex-CBN boss.
The allegation was made on Thursday at the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, where Nnamdi Offia, counsel to Omoile, testified as a defence witness in a trial-within-trial ordered by the court to determine whether Omoile’s statements to the EFCC were made voluntarily.
Offia told the court that EFCC investigators promised Omoile bail and possible non-prosecution if he agreed to implicate Emefiele, insisting that his client’s extra-judicial statements were obtained under pressure and should not be admitted as evidence.
Background to the Case
Godwin Emefiele is currently facing a 19-count charge bordering on receiving gratification and making corrupt demands during his tenure as governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Omoile, on the other hand, is standing trial on a three-count charge related to the unlawful acceptance of gifts by a public officer.
Earlier in the trial, a prosecution witness told the court that he regularly collected cash in U.S. dollars from certain individuals on Emefiele’s instructions and delivered the money to Omoile.
On October 9, 2025, the EFCC, through its counsel Rotimi Oyedepo, sought to tender Omoile’s extra-judicial statements as evidence. However, Omoile’s lawyer, Kotoye Adeyinka, objected, arguing that the statements were not made voluntarily.
Following the objection, the trial judge, Justice Ramon Oshodi, ordered a trial-within-trial to determine whether the statements were obtained under duress.
Testifying during the resumed hearing, Offia told the court that on February 26, 2024, EFCC investigators restricted Omoile during interrogation and prevented him from freely expressing himself.
He said that although Omoile answered questions put to him, investigators refused to allow him to write down responses that did not align with what they wanted him to say.
Offia added that the interrogation continued the following day without his presence and that when he questioned the process, an EFCC officer identified as David confronted him and later escorted him out of the premises after a heated exchange.
According to the lawyer, senior officers later asked him to remain calm and wait, but he was denied access to his client until late in the evening, when Omoile was returned to the detention facility.
Offia further told the court that EFCC officers informed him that Omoile would not be released because he had allegedly refused to cooperate with investigators.
He said Omoile was detained for 21 days, prompting him to apply for bail directly to the EFCC zonal head. When that failed, he filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit at the Federal High Court in Lagos.
In that suit, Justice Muslim Hassan granted Omoile bail but ordered that he be remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre until the bail conditions were fulfilled.
Offia told the court that Omoile spent 21 days in detention, a period he described as mentally and emotionally draining for his client. He said repeated attempts to secure Omoile’s release failed, leaving him with no option but to approach the Federal High Court in Lagos to seek protection of his client’s fundamental rights.
He explained that the court, presided over by Justice Muslim Hassan, eventually granted Omoile bail but ordered that he remain at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre until the bail conditions were fully met. Offia maintained that the prolonged detention and intense questioning created pressure on Omoile and were meant to force his cooperation against Emefiele.
During cross-examination, EFCC counsel Rotimi Oyedepo asked Offia whether he formally reported the alleged treatment of his client. The lawyer admitted he did not file any petition. He also confirmed that the Federal High Court did not fault the EFCC in its ruling. Justice Ramon Oshodi later adjourned the trial-within-trial to January 16, as the court continues to determine whether Omoile’s statements were made voluntarily.
