Emefiele: Court admits Supreme Court forfeiture judgment as evidence

The Lagos State Special Offences Court, in Ikeja, accepted a certified copy of a Supreme Court judgment as evidence in the trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin Emefiele. The judge deemed the judgment a public document and allowed a certified true copy to be used as secondary evidence, stating that the defense had been served with the document.

Emefiele faces a 19-count charge involving alleged gratification, corrupt demands, and abuse of office, with transactions valued at $4.5bn and N2.8bn. His co-defendant, Henry Omoile, is on trial for allegedly accepting unlawful gifts. The defense had objected to the admissibility of the judgment, questioning its inclusion in the proof of evidence and whether it could be admitted when only the lead judgment was printed.

The judge overruled these objections, citing the Court of Appeal's decision in Matthias v. Shiki and Others (2021), which affirmed that a certified copy of a Supreme Court judgment is admissible as evidence. The judge emphasized that the judgment would only confirm the facts decided in the case and not be used to establish the guilt or innocence of the defendant.