A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Maitama has rejected three subpoenaed witnesses the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission sought to present in the ongoing trial of former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.
The ruling was delivered on Thursday by Justice Hamza Muazu, who held that the names of the witnesses appeared in the list of additional proof of evidence earlier struck out by the court on March 20.
Justice Muazu noted that since the prosecution had already filed an appeal challenging the earlier decision, it must await the verdict of the Court of Appeal on the admissibility of the proposed witnesses.
“The ruling of March 20 is now the subject of an appeal. This court cannot change its own decision by allowing these subpoenaed witnesses to testify. The prosecution must wait for the decision of the Court of Appeal,” the judge ruled.
Consequently, the court adjourned the matter to January 29, 2026, for continuation of hearing.
Emefiele, who served as CBN governor from 2014 to 2023, is facing a 20 count charge bordering on alleged procurement fraud involving about N1.2 billion.
In the amended charge marked FCT HC CR 577 2023, the anti graft agency alleged that the former apex bank chief illegally awarded contracts for the purchase of 43 vehicles between 2018 and 2020 valued at N1.2 billion.
He was also accused of granting corrupt advantage to a CBN staff member, Mrs. Saadatu Ramallan Yaro, by allegedly awarding her company, April 1616 Investment Limited, a contract for the procurement of 37 Toyota Hilux vehicles valued at N854 million.
At the resumed hearing on October 22, Emefiele, who has pleaded not guilty to all the charges, through his legal team led by Mathew Burkaa SAN, opposed the EFCC attempt to present its eleventh prosecution witness, identified as Alvan Grumman.
The defence argued that the name of the witness was contained in the additional proof of evidence dated October 15, 2024, which had earlier been struck out by the court.
