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From Sola Ojo, Abuja
A prosecution witness, Alvan Gurumnaan, in the ongoing trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, and co-defendant Henry Omoile over an alleged $4.5bn fraud, has told Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Special Offences Court, Ikeja, Lagos, that Omoile did not make his statements to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) under duress, contrary to Omoile’s claim.
Emefiele is currently facing a 19-count charge filed by the EFCC, bordering on receiving gratification and making corrupt demands during his tenure as CBN Governor. His co-defendant, Omoile, is facing a three-count charge relating to unlawful acceptance of gifts as an agent. Both defendants have pleaded not guilty to all charges.
At the previous sitting on 9 October 2025, prosecution counsel Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) sought to tender Omoile’s extra-judicial statements as evidence. Defence counsel, Kotoye Adeyinka (SAN), objected, insisting the statements were not voluntary. Justice Oshodi consequently ordered a trial-within-trial to determine their voluntariness.
At the resumed hearing on 2 December 2025, Gurumnaan, an EFCC operative, testified during the trial-within-trial that EFCC operatives are trained professionals who do not extract statements by threat, violence or intimidation. “The second defendant did not make any statement under duress. Our officers do not force statements through violence. It is the responsibility of the defendant to prove duress where such an allegation is made,” he said.
He narrated how Omoile made his statements in the EFCC’s conference room at Lagos Zonal Directorate 1, Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, which he described as an open, spacious area used by the Special Operations Team. Gurumnaan expressed surprise at Omoile later objecting, as he had appeared at the EFCC office on 26 February 2024 with the acting MD of the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) and his lawyer, E. N. Offiong.
“EFCC operatives are trained to take statements without threat or duress. The statements were taken openly. There is no way we could have done that under threat,” he said.
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Four statements were admitted as exhibits one to four during the trial-within-trial, three taken on 26 February 2024 and the last on 27 February 2024.
Asked if Omoile was in EFCC custody at the time of making the statements, Gurumnaan replied in the affirmative. He stated, “Standard practice is to caution suspects before taking their statements. The cautionary words were administered by Mr Azeez Ajigbotosho, a member of my team.”
“The statements were signed by the second defendant. He wrote, ‘I am making this statement in the presence of my lawyer, Offiong,’” he added. He confirmed that Offiong was present both days and produced the EFCC visitors’ register as evidence.
During cross-examination by defence counsel Olalekan Ojo (SAN) and Kotoye Adeyinka (SAN), Gurumnaan admitted there was no video recording of the statement, explaining that “certain circumstances sometimes make video recordings impossible.”
The case was adjourned until Thursday, 15 January, and Friday, 16 January 2026 for continuation of the trial-within-trial.
