Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, has sought permission from the Lagos Special Offences Court to appoint a forensic expert to review a mobile device containing WhatsApp chats submitted as evidence in his ongoing fraud trial.
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Emefiele and co-defendant, Henry Omoile, are facing a 19-count charge brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), involving allegations of money laundering and fraud amounting to $4.5 billion and ₦2.8 billion.
According to the EFCC, Emefiele received $17.1 million through an intermediary, Monday Osazuwa, as a reward for facilitating access to foreign exchange from the CBN. During court proceedings on Wednesday, EFCC operative Alvan Gurumnaan testified that between September 2020 and June 2, 2023—just before Emefiele’s suspension—multiple cash transactions were allegedly made to him through Osazuwa, who delivered the funds to Emefiele’s residence, where they were handed over to Omoile.
Prosecuting counsel Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) attempted to admit into evidence printouts of WhatsApp conversations between Osazuwa and his employer. While Emefiele’s lawyer, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), did not contest the submission of the device or the chat records, he maintained that the defence should be allowed to verify the authenticity of the data, either directly or via a forensic analyst.
Ojo stressed the importance of determining whether the messages were genuinely extracted from the phone and whether the conversation history was complete and unaltered.
The prosecution opposed the oral request and urged the court to require a formal application. Yinka Kotoye (SAN), representing the second defendant, supported the motion and reminded the court that the defence had previously requested access to the device without receiving a response.
Justice Rahman Oshodi ruled that the defence must submit a formal application to engage a forensic expert to inspect the mobile device (an iPhone) and the printed messages.
Earlier in the session, Gurumnaan, who is an Assistant Commander with the EFCC and joined the agency in 2008, explained that his team initiated the investigation after receiving multiple reports alleging abuse of office, gratification, and unexplained wealth linked to Emefiele. As part of their probe, the EFCC contacted various institutions, including the CBN, Code of Conduct Bureau, Corporate Affairs Commission, and commercial banks, and also interviewed CBN staff in both Abuja and Lagos.
The trial was adjourned until October 7, 8, and 9, 2025, for further hearing.
