Emefiele Can Conduct Forensic Test On Evidence, Court Rules

Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos State Special Offences Court successful Ikeja has granted support to erstwhile politician of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele to prosecute forensic experts to analyse WhatsApp conversations and a mobile instrumentality marked “iPhone 2” that were tendered arsenic grounds successful his ongoing trial.

Justice Oshodi held that Emefiele has the close to behaviour an autarkic forensic reappraisal of the grounds presented by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), provided that safeguards are successful spot to support the integrity of the evidence.

The EFCC had arraigned Emefiele and 1 Herry Omoile earlier the tribunal connected a 26-count complaint of accepting gratification and gifts done agents and fraudulent spot receipt.

In the complaint filed connected April 3, 2025, by the anti-graft agency’s prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), helium was besides accused of conferring corrupt vantage connected his associates contrary to the Corrupt Practices Act of 2000.

Emefiele’s lawyer, Olalekan Ojo (SAN) had urged the tribunal to let an autarkic forensic adept to inspect the handset and verify the authenticity of the extracted WhatsApp messages presented arsenic evidence.

Ojo told the justice that support is indispensable to find the genuineness of the grounds and that this tin lone beryllium done by engaging a forensic adept to analyse some the mobile instrumentality and the printed conversations.

In response, EFCC counsel Charity Okezie opposed the application, arguing that exhibits admitted during the proceedings stay successful the court’s custody and indispensable stay successful their archetypal signifier until the lawsuit was concluded.
Okezie besides expressed interest that the defence had not disclosed the sanction of the forensic laboratory oregon the qualifications of the unit who would grip the device.

The lawyer further asked the tribunal to name the EFCC’s manager of the Forensic Department to prime the laboratory, guarantee the workout is monitored by a prosecution-nominated representative, and support a strict concatenation of custody.

In his ruling, Justice Oshodi ordered that the inspection beryllium conducted successful the beingness of representatives from each parties, with each enactment allowed 1 lawyer and 1 forensic expert.

The tribunal directed that the process beryllium supervised by a tribunal typical and conducted betwixt 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. connected September 24 and 26, 2025.

Justice Oshodi besides held that Exhibit E (iPhone 2) indispensable beryllium preserved successful the concatenation of custody and stay successful the court’s custody astatine each times.

He adjourned the substance to October 7 and 8, 2025, to proceed the trial.