Rita Enemuru, Reporting
A prosecution witness in the trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, has insisted that the statements made by his co-defendant, Henry Omoile, were not obtained through force, threats or intimidation.
Emefiele is currently facing a 19-count charge filed by the 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.
The Commission made this known in a statement posted on its X handle and obtained by Stonix on Thursday.
Testifying before Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos Special Offences Court, EFCC operative Alvan Gurumnaan said plainly that the second defendant did not make any statement under duress.
It was stated that added that EFCC operatives are trained professionals do not force statements through violence.
Gurumnaan gave the testimony on Tuesday during a trial-within-trial ordered to determine whether Omoile’s statements were voluntary.
The defence had earlier argued that the statements should not be admitted because they were allegedly made under coercion.
Describing the environment in which the statements were taken, Gurumnaan told the court that Omoile spoke freely inside the EFCC’s conference room located on the first floor of the Lagos Zonal Directorate in Ikoyi.
The room, he said, is an open and spacious conference room used by the Special Operations Team.
He expressed surprise at the allegation of duress, noting that Omoile had arrived at the EFCC office on 26 February 2024 with the acting Managing Director of the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) and his lawyer, E. N. Offiong.
“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.
“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,” 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.
Gurumnaan further revealed that Omoile signed each statement after the cautionary words were administered by an EFCC officer, Azeez Ajigbotosho. He told the court that the defendant wrote in his own handwriting: “I am making this statement in the presence of my lawyer, Offiong.”
He also confirmed that Omoile was in EFCC custody at the time but maintained that everything was done according to procedure. He tendered the EFCC visitors’ register to prove that the lawyer was present on both 26 and 27 February 2024.
During cross-examination, the witness admitted that there was no video recording of the interview but explained that certain circumstances sometimes make video recordings impossible.
The court admitted four statements as exhibits—three dated 26 February 2024 and one dated 27 February 2024.
Justice Oshodi adjourned the matter to 15 and 16 January 2026 for continuation of the trial-within-trial.
