The former Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele’s co-defendant, Henry Omoile, voluntarily made his statements during the $4.5 billion fraud trial of the duo, according to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Omoile is charged with unlawful acceptance of gifts, while Emefiele is on trial for a 19-count charge that resembles gratification and corrupt demands. Both defendants entered not guilty pleas.
Alvan Gurumnaan, an EFCC operative, who took the witness box, claimed no officer of the Commission coerced the defendant into making any statements in a trial-within-trial to determine the voluntariness of Omoile’s statements.
Under duress, the second defendant did not make any statements. He told the court that our officers don’t use intimidation or force statements.
The defendant is now responsible for providing proof when an allegation of duress is made, he added.
On October 9, 2025, the prosecutor’s office, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), requested that Omoile’s extrajudicial statements be presented in evidence at the court’s final sitting.
Adeyinka Kotoye, the defense attorney, objected, arguing that the statements were not made on a voluntary basis. A trial-within-trial was later ordered by Justice Rahman Oshodi.
In Block A of the Lagos Directorate, Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Gurumnaan, a former member of the Special Operations Unit of the EFCC Lagos Zonal Command, narrated how Omoile delivered the statements.
He referred to the space as a sizable, open conference room that the Special Operations Team frequently uses.
The defendant was accompanied by the Acting Managing Director of NIBSS and his attorney, Mr. E. N. Offiong, on February 26, 2024, and the witness claimed he found Omoile’s objection surprising.
“The statements were made in full confidence. He said, “There is no way we could have done that without being threatened.”
Exhibits 1 to 4 include four statements, three of which were dated February 26, 2024, and one that was dated February 27, 2024.
Gurumnaan made sure Omoile was present when he made them.
He claimed that Mr. Azeez Ajigbotosho, a different team member, gave the defendant a proper warning before making his statements.
The second defendant also signed the statements. He even said, “I am making this statement in Offiong’s presence,” he continued.
The witness insisted that Offiong was present both days and that the EFCC visitors’ register was presented as supporting evidence even though one of the statements did not specifically mention the lawyer’s presence.
No video recording of the statement taking was made, and the lawyer’s signature was not included in the statement, despite it being a part of the EFCC’s standard practice, according to Gurumnaan, who was cross-examined by the defense counsel, Olalekan Ojo and Kotoye.
He explained that some operational circumstances occasionally prevent video recording.
Source: Channels TV
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