The Ikeja Special Offences Court in Lagos has rejected an application by Godwin Emefiele, former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), challenging its jurisdiction to hear his case.
Emefiele is facing a 26-count charge brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), accusing him of abuse of office.
The charges allege that he allocated $2.14 billion in foreign exchange without competitive bidding, an act the EFCC claims undermines the rights of Nigerians.
At his arraignment, Emefiele pleaded not guilty and, through his lawyer Olalekan Ojo, argued that the court lacked jurisdiction.
Ojo also asked the court to strike out the first four counts, claiming they were not recognized as offences under Section 36(12) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Meanwhile, in Wednesday’s ruling, Justice Rahman Oshodi ruled that the EFCC had demonstrated sufficient territorial jurisdiction over counts eight to 26, as supported by the evidence presented.
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However, the judge struck out counts one to four, stating that the alleged actions related to abuse of office were not defined as criminal offences under Nigerian law.
The judge said the allocation of foreign exchange without competitive bidding is not recognised as an offence in any written law.
“The objection to counts one to four is upheld, and those charges are hereby struck out. However, the objection to the court’s jurisdiction over counts eight to 26 is dismissed, as the prosecution has established a sufficient territorial nexus.”
The trial will proceed, with the next hearing scheduled for February 24 and 26, 2025.
