EFCC Witness Admits Not Interviewing Emefiele in Procurement Fraud Trial
At the resumed hearing of the criminal trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, a prosecution witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), David Jaiyeoba (PW12), admitted under cross‑examination that he did not personally interview the defendant during investigations into procurement fraud allegations.
Emefiele is facing an amended 20‑count charge before Justice Hamza Muazu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), marked FCT/HC/CR/577/2023. The charges border on criminal breach of trust, forgery, abuse of office, conspiracy to obtain by false pretence, and obtaining money by false pretence. The EFCC alleges that he fraudulently obtained $6,230,000 purportedly earmarked for international election observers in the 2023 general election, and conferred corrupt advantages on April 1616 Nigeria Ltd and Architekon Nigeria Ltd in contract awards. He has pleaded not guilty.
During cross‑examination by defence counsel, Mr. Mathew Burkaa, SAN, Jaiyeoba confirmed that while his team interviewed suspects and reviewed documents, he did not personally question Emefiele or visit the alleged project sites. He further acknowledged that Emefiele was neither a signatory, director, nor shareholder of the companies mentioned.
The witness also admitted he was unaware that the Court of Appeal had overturned a forfeiture order previously linked to the defendant’s properties, noting that EFCC is bound by the appellate court’s directive for a fresh hearing. He conceded that Emefiele’s extrajudicial statements were taken 73 days after charges had already been filed, and that he was not aware of the timeline discrepancies highlighted by the defence.
Justice Muazu adjourned the matter for continuation of trial, which remains one of Nigeria’s most high‑profile financial crime prosecutions, raising significant questions about investigative procedure, prosecutorial timelines, and the evidentiary foundation of corruption cases involving public office holders.
