By Lukman Olabiyi
Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Special Offences Court, Ikeja, has fixed September 15 for ruling on the application filed by former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, seeking forensic review of WhatsApp evidence in a $4.5bn fraud case.
The former CBN governor challenges the authenticity of digital messages tendered as evidence against him by the prosecution.
He prayed the court to permit a forensic analysis of a mobile phone used to extract WhatsApp messages presented as evidence in court.
Emefiele’s counsel, Olalekan Ojo SAN, made the application to call a forensic expert to examine both the phone, identified as an “iPhone 2,” and the printed conversations.
The prosecution counsel, C. C. Okezie, in her arguments, told the court that, by virtue of the rules of evidence and practice, once evidence of this nature has been admitted as an exhibit, the court becomes the custodian of that exhibit and retains it until the conclusion of the trial.
She argued that the defence counsel had not stated the name of the laboratory, their expertise, or the experience of the personnel that would conduct the examination of the device.
Emefiele, alongside his co-accused, Henry Omoile, faces a 19-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on allegations of money laundering and fraud totalling $4.5 billion and ₦2.8 billion.
The court adjourned the matter until September 15, 2025, for ruling on this application.