By Abiola Olawale
Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja has rejected a request to withdraw from the ongoing trial of the immediate-past governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.
The decision came after Emefiele’s defence team, led by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria(SAN) Olalekan Ojo, orally requested the judge’s recusal during a hearing on Monday, February 24.
The New Diplomat reports that the request for recusal came after a courtroom dispute during Monday’s session.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, had presented WhatsApp messages allegedly printed from the phone of Emefiele’s co-defendant, one Henry Omoile, which the defence objected to, arguing that the document was only admitted for identification and not as evidence.
Despite the objection, Justice Oshodi allowed the prosecution’s witness to read from it, a decision that prompted the defence to question the judge’s impartiality.
Ojo argued that this ruling compromised their ability to fairly cross-examine the witness, while Omoile’s counsel, Kazeem Gbadamosi, supported the recusal motion.
However, during court proceedings on Wednesday, the judge dismissed the request, stating that the allegations of bias were unsubstantiated and lacked sufficient evidence to warrant his withdrawal.
He maintained that judicial decisions alone do not constitute grounds for recusal unless clear personal bias is demonstrated, which he found absent in this case.
The New Diplomat reports that the ongoing trial involves serious charges brought by the EFCC against Emefiele, including 19 counts related to alleged fraud involving $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion, abuse of office, receiving gratification, and corrupt demands.
Emefiele, who led the CBN from 2014 to 2023, has faced multiple legal challenges since his suspension by President Bola Tinubu in June 2023.
His trial spans several courts, with charges ranging from forgery and criminal breach of trust in Abuja to the current fraud allegations in Lagos.
