TENSION flared on Tuesday at the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, as Justice Hamza Muazu issued a stern warning to the Federal Government over its repeated failure to appear in court for the ongoing N1.2 billion procurement fraud trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
News Point Nigeria reports that Emefiele, who served as CBN Governor from 2014 to 2023, is standing trial on a 20-count amended charge brought by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (OAGF).
The charges include criminal breach of trust, conspiracy, forgery, obtaining money by false pretence, and conferring corrupt advantage.
According to the prosecution, Emefiele abused his office by awarding six inflated contracts for the supply of vehicles worth N1,210,600,000 to April 1616 Investment Ltd. between 2018 and 2022. The firm is reportedly linked to Sa’adatu Ramalan Yaro, a CBN staff member and shareholder.
Despite the gravity of the allegations, the trial stalled once again on Tuesday after neither the lead prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, nor any member of his legal team appeared in court.
Counsel to Emefiele, Mathew Burkaa, SAN, expressed frustration over what he described as deliberate attempts to stall the case.
He urged the court to foreclose the prosecution’s case, arguing that the government’s absence was not only unjustifiable but also unfair to the defence team.
Burkaa revealed that he had only been informed via WhatsApp by the court registrar that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had submitted a letter requesting an adjournment.
He faulted the process, stressing that the EFCC was not the prosecuting authority in the matter and had no legal standing to seek such an adjournment.
“None of the prosecuting lawyers, including the lead counsel, deemed it fit to appear in court. Yet, this same prosecution earlier requested an accelerated hearing. My Lord, this is unfair,” Burkaa argued.
He further lamented that his client and legal team had travelled from Lagos for the sitting, only to meet an empty prosecution bench.
In his ruling, Justice Muazu expressed displeasure at the prosecution’s absence, noting that it undermined the integrity of the trial.
However, he stopped short of foreclosing the government’s case, granting them one final opportunity to appear.
“The court will do the needful should the prosecution fail to appear at the next adjourned date,” the judge warned firmly.
The matter has now been adjourned to October 22, 2025, for continuation of hearing.