Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele has urged the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to dismiss the $6.23m procurement fraud charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), arguing that the prosecution has failed to establish a case against him.
Emefiele’s application followed a no-case submission by his lead counsel, Matthew Burkaa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), who told the court that the evidence presented by the EFCC’s witnesses did not sufficiently link his client to the alleged offences.
Burkaa argued that the prosecution had failed to prove that Emefiele manipulated contract awards or used his position to favour companies allegedly connected to his wife and in-law.
He maintained that the firms, April 1616 and Archetekon, executed the vehicle supply contracts awarded to them by the CBN, insisting that the prosecution had not established that the former governor influenced the selection process.
The defence also questioned the allegations surrounding the withdrawal of $6.23m from the apex bank, particularly claims that signatures attributed to former President Muhammadu Buhari, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Boss Mustapha, and Emefiele were forged.
Burkaa argued that the alleged forgery warranted further investigation, questioning why Buhari and Mustapha had not been investigated in connection with the disputed signatures.
However, the EFCC opposed the application, urging the court to allow the case to proceed.
The commission’s counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, also a SAN, argued that the evidence presented before the court indicated that Emefiele allegedly abused his office to give undue advantage to Archetekon and other companies.
Oyedepo further alleged that some contracts bypassed the CBN’s Tenders Board Committee, while one of the companies was given information that placed it at an advantage over competing bidders.
He also relied on testimony concerning the withdrawal and disbursement of the disputed funds, arguing that the evidence raised questions about Emefiele’s conduct during his tenure as CBN governor.
After hearing arguments from both the defence and the prosecution, the judge reserved a ruling on the no-case submission for a date to be communicated to the parties.
