Co-defendant alleges EFCC pressured him to implicate Emefiele

A defence witness on Thursday told the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, that officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) attempted to coerce his client into implicating former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele.

Testifying before Justice Rahman Oshodi, Nnamdi Offial, counsel to Henry Omoile, alleged that EFCC investigators pressured Omoile, the second defendant in Emefiele’s ongoing $4.5 billion and ₦2.8 million fraud trial, to make statements incriminating the former apex bank governor.

The allegation was made during a trial-within-a-trial ordered by the court to determine whether Omoile’s statement to the EFCC was made voluntarily.

Offial told the court that EFCC officials offered inducements, including the promise of bail and possible non-prosecution, if Omoile agreed to cooperate and provide evidence against Emefiele. He also alleged that investigators dictated responses during interrogation and prevented his client from writing answers that did not align with their expectations.

According to him, interrogations were conducted in a restrictive question-and-answer format, and he repeatedly objected when his client was allegedly denied the opportunity to freely record his responses.

Offial further claimed that after an interrogation session on February 26, 2024, EFCC officers informed him that Omoile would remain in detention. He said the following day he discovered that his client was being interrogated without his presence and was subsequently prevented from intervening.

He told the court that Omoile was detained for 21 days, prompting him to file a fundamental rights enforcement suit at the Federal High Court in Lagos. He said the court granted bail but ordered that Omoile be remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre pending the perfection of bail conditions.

During cross-examination by EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, the witness admitted that investigators cautioned Omoile in his presence and that his client signed the caution. He also acknowledged that he participated in the statement-taking process and understood that the statement could be used as evidence in court.

Offial further admitted that he did not file a petition against the EFCC over the alleged coercion and that the court in the fundamental rights suit did not indict the commission for misconduct. He also confirmed that his client was not harassed in his presence.

Justice Oshodi adjourned the matter until January 16, 2026, for continuation of the trial-within-a-trial.