On Thursday, January 16, 2026, at the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, a defence witness told the court that officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission tried to push a co-defendant to accuse former Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
The allegation was made by Nnamdi Offial, a lawyer and defence witness for Henry Omoile, who is standing trial alongside Emefiele over alleged fraud involving $4.5bn and N2.8m. Offial spoke during a trial-within-trial ordered by Justice Rahman Oshodi to determine whether Omoile’s statement to the EFCC was made freely.
Offial told the court that EFCC investigators tried to persuade Omoile to make statements against Emefiele by offering him possible bail and the chance of avoiding prosecution. He said the investigators suggested that cooperation would make things easier for his client.
According to him, the questioning process was controlled and restrictive, with officers insisting on specific answers. He added that Omoile was not allowed to write down responses that did not suit the investigators’ expectations, despite objections raised during the session.
Offial further stated that after an interrogation session in February 2024, his client was kept in detention. He said he later discovered that Omoile was questioned again in his absence and that his attempt to intervene led to his removal from the premises after an exchange with one of the officers.
He explained that Omoile remained in custody for several weeks, which led him to file a fundamental rights suit at the Federal High Court in Lagos. He said the court granted bail but ordered that Omoile be held at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre until the bail terms were met.
During cross-examination, the EFCC prosecutor questioned the witness on the procedure followed during the interrogation. Offial confirmed that Omoile was properly cautioned and signed the caution statement in his presence. He also admitted that he took part in the statement-taking process and understood its legal effect.
He further told the court that he did not file any formal complaint against the EFCC and that the judge who handled the rights enforcement case did not rule that the commission acted wrongly. He also agreed that his client was not mistreated while he was present.
Justice Oshodi later fixed January 16, 2026, for the continuation of the trial-within-trial as the court proceeds to determine the voluntariness of the statement.