Emefiele’s bid to remove trial judge awaits appeal verdict

The Court of Appeal in Lagos has reserved its judgment in a case where former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele, is challenging the trial judge's refusal to withdraw from his criminal trial over a disputed $400,000 allegation. The three-judge panel, led by Justice Biobele Georgewill, heard arguments from Emefiele's legal team and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday.

Emefiele contends that a leading question asked during the testimony of a prosecution witness, John Ayoh, resulted in a prejudiced impression that he received the disputed sum. The EFCC, represented by C.C. Okezie, argues that the appeal is an abuse of court process and requests the appellate court to uphold the trial judge's decision dismissing Emefiele's application for recusal. The appellate court has yet to announce a date for delivering its judgment.