Fresh controversy has emerged in the ongoing criminal proceedings involving former Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele as defence counsel for a co-defendant accused the anti-graft agency of attempting to coerce incriminating statements against him. The allegation was raised during a trial-within-trial convened to determine whether a statement obtained by investigators was made voluntarily.
Counsel to the second defendant, Henry Omoile, told the Lagos State High Court that investigators allegedly offered inducements, including bail and the possibility of avoiding prosecution, if his client agreed to implicate Emefiele. According to the testimony, these assurances were presented as part of sustained pressure during interrogation sessions.
The defence further alleged that the statement-taking process was tightly controlled by investigators, who required answers to conform to a predetermined narrative before they could be written down. It was claimed that several responses were rejected for failing to meet the expectations of the interrogation team, a practice the defence described as improper and coercive.
Counsel also recounted incidents in which he was allegedly excluded from parts of the interrogation process, leading to disputes with investigating officers. He stated that his client was detained for several weeks, allegedly as a consequence of refusing to cooperate, before legal steps were taken to secure bail through the courts.
Under cross-examination, however, the defence witness acknowledged that the defendant was formally cautioned in his presence and that he participated in the statement-taking process. He admitted that no formal petition was filed against the investigators and that no court had made a finding of misconduct against the agency in related proceedings.
The court is expected to determine whether the statement in question was obtained voluntarily or under duress, a decision that could significantly affect the admissibility of key evidence. The trial continues as the court weighs competing claims of investigative overreach against procedural compliance within Nigeria’s criminal justice framework.
