Alleged $4.5bn Fraud: Emefiele’s Co-Defendant’s Statement Not Obtained Under Duress-Witness

A prosecution witness, Alvan Gurumnaan, in the ongoing trial of a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele, and Henry Omoile, over an alleged $4.5bn fraud, has told Justice Rahman Oshodi of Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos that Omoile did not make his statements to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, under duress, contrary to his claim.

Emefiele is currently facing a 19-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), bordering on receiving gratification and making corrupt demands during his tenure as CBN Governor.

His co-defendant, Omoile, is facing a three- count charge bordering on unlawful acceptance of gifts as an agent.

Both defendants have pleaded “not guilty” to all charges.

At the last adjourned sitting on October 9, 2025, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) had sought to tender Omoile’s extra-judicial statements as evidence.

However, the defence counsel, Kotoye Adeyinka, SAN, had objected to its admissibility, insisting that the statements were not voluntary.

Justice Oshodi had, consequently, ordered a trial-within-trial to determine the voluntariness of the statements.

ADVERTISEMENT

At the resumed sitting on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, Gurumnaan, an operative of the EFCC, while testifying during a trial-within-trial, stated that EFCC’s operatives are trained professionals who do not extract statements by threat, violence or intimidation.

“The second defendant did not make any statement under duress. Our officers do not force statements through violence.

“ It is the responsibility of the defendant to prove duress where such an allegation is made,” he said.

He also narrated how Omoile made his statements at the Commission’s conference room, located on the first floor of Block A, EFCC Lagos Zonal Directorate 1, Awolowo Road, Ikoyi.

He described the setting as an open and spacious conference room used by the Special Operations Team, adding that he was surprised that Omoile later objected to the statements because he appeared at the EFCC office on February 26, 2024 with the acting MD of Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System, NIBSS and his lawyer, E. N. Offiong.

“EFCC operatives are trained to take statements without threat or duress. The statements were taken openly. There is no way we could have done that under threat,” he said.

The court, thereafter, admitted four statements as exhibits one to four during trial -within trial, three of which were taken on February 26, 2024, and the last on February 27, 2024.

When asked if Omoile was in the EFCC’s custody when he made the statement, he answered in the affirmative.

Giving further testimony, he stated that the “standard practice is to caution suspects before taking their statements. The cautionary words were administered by Mr. Azeez Ajigbotosho, a member of his team.

“The statements were signed by the second defendant. He wrote, ‘I am making this statement in the presence of my lawyer, Offiong,’” he said.

He also maintained that Offiong was present on both days and tendered the EFCC visitors’ register as evidence.

Under cross-examination by the defence counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN) and Kotoye Adeyinka (SAN), Gurumnaan admitted that there was no video recording of the defendant’s statement.

According to him, “certain circumstances sometimes make video recordings impossible.”

The case was adjourned till Thursday, January 15, and Friday, January 16, 2026 for continuation of the trial-within-trial.