THE Special Offences Division of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja has fixed Thursday, October 9, 2025, to rule on the admissibility of critical digital evidence tendered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the ongoing trial of the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
News Point Nigeria reports that Justice Rahman Oshodi reserved ruling after a heated courtroom exchange between the prosecution and defence teams over the authenticity, source, and certification of digital documents extracted from the mobile device of a key witness, Mr. John Adetola, who once served as Executive Assistant to the former CBN governor.
During the resumed hearing on Monday, an EFCC operative, Mr. Alvan Gurumnaan, continued his testimony, led in evidence by EFCC counsel, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN). Gurumnaan detailed the outcome of forensic analysis conducted on electronic devices seized during the anti-graft agency’s investigation into alleged financial improprieties under Emefiele’s leadership at the apex bank.
According to the EFCC witness, the investigation unearthed a digital trail, including WhatsApp conversations between key individuals linked to alleged illicit transactions. In one of the retrieved chat exchanges, Gurumnaan said a certain Mr. Eric Eboh purportedly received instructions to deliver $400,000 in cash to the former CBN boss.
The operative testified that preliminary findings suggest the said money was indeed delivered, though the EFCC’s efforts to trace and interrogate Mr. Eboh “are still ongoing,” describing him as “elusive but central to the investigation.”
While some documentary evidence, particularly correspondences dated February 2024, were admitted by the court without objection, another batch of digital records extracted from Adetola’s phone sparked strong opposition from Emefiele’s defence counsel, who questioned their admissibility.
The defence team argued that the digital evidence lacked proper certification as stipulated under the Nigerian Evidence Act, insisting that “electronic data obtained from personal devices must be duly authenticated by the certifying authority before being tendered in court.”
Oyedepo, however, countered the objection, stressing that all electronic records were “lawfully extracted, preserved, and duly analysed in accordance with forensic procedure,” urging the court to admit the evidence as part of the ongoing trial.
Justice Oshodi, after hearing arguments from both sides, announced that the court would deliver its ruling on Thursday, October 9, determining whether the contested electronic materials meet the standard for admissibility.
The case continues to draw wide public attention as one of the most closely watched corruption trials in recent years, given Emefiele’s former position as head of Nigeria’s apex bank and the sensitive nature of the allegations against him.
