Akin Kuponiyi
The presiding judge of the Special Offences Court, Ikeja, Justice Rahman Oshodi, on Friday heard how officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) allegedly attempted to force a witness, Henry Omolie, to implicate the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, in the alleged $4.5 billion fraud case against him.
The allegation was made by the witness during the continuation of a trial-within-trial aimed at determining the voluntariness of a controversial statement which the EFCC claimed was freely made by Omolie, the second defendant in the case in which Emefiele is the first defendant.
Emefiele is facing a 19-count charge bordering on receiving gratification and making corrupt demands, while his co-defendant, Omolie, is facing a three-count charge relating to the unlawful acceptance of gifts by an agent. Both defendants have pleaded not guilty.
Leading the examination-in-chief, Omolie’s counsel, Barrister Adeyinka Kotoye, SAN, the witness narrated how EFCC officials subjected him to what he described as almost unending interrogation sessions, pushing him from one officer to another and accusing him of non-cooperation.
According to the witness, EFCC officials questioned him about Emefiele’s dispatch rider, Mr. Monday, and urged him to write a statement that would align with a prepared statement allegedly made by the dispatch rider.
“They came up with selected questions and wanted me to answer them in a way that suited the anti-graft agency,” the witness said.
“If my answer aligned with the official statement, I was asked to write it down. If it didn’t, I was told to answer again and again until it was satisfactory.
“When I maintained my answers, I was accused of being stubborn. The officer would leave and return the next day to continue the interrogation with the same selected questions.
“This process was repeated for three days. When he was still not satisfied, he would report to the head of the team, Mr. Alvaan, claiming I had not answered his questions,” he added.
The witness further told the court that upon arriving at the EFCC office on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, following an invitation, he informed an EFCC official, Mr. Azeez, that he was accompanied by his personal lawyer and a compliance officer from his office, and requested that they be allowed to join him.
According to him, Mr. Azeez responded that it was a personal matter and said the head of the interrogation team, Mr. Alvaan, wanted a private discussion with him.
“On getting to Mr. Alvaan’s office, he asked if I knew why I was there and said it was a personal issue. I replied that in that case, I would want my lawyer present.
“Mr. Alvaan said it was a personal matter but more related to official duties. He told me I was invited because a staff member of the first defendant (Emefiele) mentioned my name during the court hearing, and they wanted me to write a statement in line with what the staff had said,” the witness stated.
He further alleged that Mr. Alvaan told him his cooperation would facilitate his release on bail from EFCC custody.
“I returned to Mr. Azeez, who showed me an already written statement and asked me to answer in the same way,” he said.
Explaining what was meant by “cooperation,” the witness said the EFCC wanted his statement to corroborate that of the dispatch rider, which allegedly indicted Emefiele.
The witness also told the court that on April 27, 2024, upon arriving again at the EFCC office on Awolowo Road, he was taken to a conference room and later led to Mr. Alvaan, who asked whether he was willing to cooperate with the agency.
“He said all I needed to do was to write what they wanted me to write. They gave me a prepared statement to rewrite on an A4 paper and asked me to sign it, claiming it was done in the presence of my lawyer.
“I protested, saying there was no way I could endorse a statement written outside the presence of my lawyer. He replied that it was not compulsory for my lawyer to be present,” he said.
The witness further stated that when his lawyer later arrived and questioned why a statement was being taken in his absence, Mr. Azeez allegedly told him that he had earlier warned the lawyer not to speak with him.
He said another EFCC official, Mr. David, stood up, challenged the lawyer, and walked him out of the room.
“He said the lawyer was disturbing him and asked him to leave. When my lawyer insisted on being present, Mr. Azeez warned that if he continued arguing, the process of granting me bail might not continue.
“My lawyer later left to initiate a fundamental rights action on my behalf. That was when they gave me an A4 paper to write answers to selected questions,” the witness added.
He further told the court that after reviewing his statement, Mr. Alvaan accused him of non-cooperation and gave him another opportunity.
“He asked me how I felt, and I said I was happy. He then told me I would be released if I did what they wanted me to do,” the witness testified.
Justice Oshodi adjourned the matter for the continuation of the trial-within-trial to February 6, 2026.
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