Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos Special Offences Court in Ikeja has scheduled January 7, 2025, for a ruling on the application filed by Godwin Emefiele, the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), challenging the court’s jurisdiction to hear his criminal case.
Emefiele, who is facing charges of alleged abuse of office and a fraud involving $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion, was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). His co-defendant, Henry Omoile, is facing a three-count charge for allegedly accepting unlawful gifts from agents.
The court session on Thursday saw arguments from both the prosecution and the defense. EFCC’s counsel, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), presented his case, while Emefiele’s defense lawyer, Mr. Olalekan Ojo (SAN), filed an application questioning the court’s jurisdiction.
In his application, Ojo argued that the court lacked the authority to hear the case in Lagos, claiming that the alleged offences, including abuse of office, occurred outside the court’s territorial jurisdiction. Ojo further contended that the charges violated Section 36(12) of the Nigerian Constitution, asserting that the actions Emefiele was accused of were not recognized as offences under Lagos State law.
Ojo also pointed out that the Lagos State House of Assembly did not have the legislative power to address issues on the Exclusive Legislative List. As such, he argued that Section 73 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011, which was used to file the charges, could not be applied to actions that occurred outside the jurisdiction of the court. He urged the court to strike out counts one to four of the 18 amended charges filed on April 4.
In response, Oyedepo, representing the EFCC, argued that the court did indeed have the authority to hear the case. He explained that the alleged crimes were economic and financial in nature, which fell under the jurisdiction of the EFCC.
The ruling on the matter will be delivered on January 7, 2025.
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Chronicles Reporter