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Emefiele loses bid to stop $4.5bn, N2.8bn fraud trial

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Former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele has lost the chance to stop the $4.5bn, N2.8bn fraud trial after the Lagos State Special Offences Court, on Wednesday, dismissed an application filed by the former governor, challenging the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the fraud charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Justice Rahman Oshodi, in his ruling, held that the court had the jurisdiction to try Emefiele and his co-defendant, Henry Omoile.

The judge, however, struck out four of the 26 counts filed by the EFCC against the defendants for lack of jurisdiction.

Justice Oshodi explained: “Allocation of foreign exchange without reason is not defined as an offence under any written law. The objection to counts one to four succeeds and is hereby struck out.

“The objection challenging the court’s territorial jurisdiction over counts eight to 26 fails and is hereby dismissed.

“The prosecution has established sufficient territorial nexus in this case.

”The judge subsequently adjourned the case for trial continuation on February 24, 2025.

The EFCC had arraigned Emefiele on 26 charges, bordering on abuse of office and illegal allocation of $4.5bn and N2.8bn.

At the last adjourned date on December 12, 2024, Emefiele’s counsel, Mr. Olalekan Ojo (SAN), argued that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case in Lagos.Ojo contended that the alleged offences, including abuse of office, fell outside the territorial reach of the Lagos Special Offences Court.

He also argued that the charges violated Section 36(12) of the Nigerian constitution, asserting that the alleged offences were not legally recognised under Nigerian law.

Furthermore, Ojo emphasised that since the Lagos State House of Assembly does not have legislative authority over matters on the Exclusive Legislative List, Section 73 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State (2011), under which counts one to four were filed, cannot apply extraterritorially to the alleged abuse of office by Emefiele.

Ojo added that a court’s territorial jurisdiction is limited to the geographical area within which its authority can be exercised and urged the court to strike out counts one to four of the amended charges filed by the EFCC on April 4, 2024.

In response, EFCC counsel, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), argued that the court had the authority to hear the case.

Oyedepo contended that the alleged crimes were economic and financial in nature, falling within the EFCC’s jurisdiction.

He also maintained that substantial evidence supported Lagos as the appropriate venue for the trial.

According to Oyedepo, the subject matter of the charges clearly fell within the court’s jurisdiction since the offences were committed within its territorial reach.

He noted that evidence and witness testimonies pointed to Lagos as the proper location for the trial and argued that the objections raised by Emefiele’s legal team lacked factual or evidential support.

Following the arguments, Justice Oshodi initially adjourned the case to January 7, 2025, for a ruling on the application challenging the court’s jurisdiction.

However, the ruling was not ready on that date, prompting an adjournment to Wednesday, January 8, 2025.

The case has now been adjourned to February 24 and 26, 2025, for the continuation of trial.

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Anambra Govt Debunks Video of Soludo’s Reelection Visit to Native Doctor

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The Anambra State Government has debunked the misinformation, malicious and deliberately fabricated online publication and social media comments in the video of the recently arrested Native doctor in the state.

In a press statement signed by Christian Aburime, the state Press Secretary to the Governor on June 4, 2025, the State Government debunked the allegations that the Governor of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR, consulted a native doctor regarding his reelection prospects, stressing that the information is totally false.

The statement reads: The attention of Anambra State Government has been drawn to a malicious and deliberately fabricated online publication and social media comments making spurious claims that the Governor of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR, consulted a native doctor regarding his reelection prospects.

The State Government hereby debunks the allegations as totally false. For the interest of the general public, the video clip being maliciously circulated and misrepresented, as evidence of native doctor consultation, was taken during a recent official government meeting with Anambra-based content creators.

The session, facilitated by the Special Senior Assistant to the Governor on New Media, Mazi Ejimofor Opara, was organised to strengthen the partnership between the State Government and the creative industry as part of Governor Soludo’s commitment in encouraging and supporting Anambra’s creative economy.

During the interactive session, content creators were encouraged to showcase their talents, ask questions, and share their concerns about the creative industry in the state.

As part of the presentations, one of the content creators performed a native doctor skit, a common comic genre in Nigerian entertainment, to demonstrate their creative abilities to the Governor and other officials present.

This was purely an entertainment performance by a content creator, not a consultation session. The State Government thus found it deeply disappointing that critics and political opponents would stoop so low as to deliberately fabricate malicious narratives from an innocent entertainment performance and spread misinformation to mislead the public.

Rather than engage in frivolous consultations, Governor Soludo has consistently demonstrated his commitment to developing Anambra’s creative economy through investment plans as part of the state’s economic diversification strategy.

The recently commissioned SOLUTION FUN CITY project is part of such investment plans.

The State Government also clarified that Governor Soludo does not need consultations with any native doctor to win reelection, as he relies solely on the support of Ndi Anambra based on his impressive performance and focus on delivering the SOLUTION AGENDA by transforming Anambra State into a livable and prosperous homeland.

Therefore, the Anambra State Government calls on Ndi Anambra, media channels and social media users to disregard the misinformation concerning the circulated video clip.

The public is also urged to always verify information before sharing or amplifying content and reject malicious stories sponsored to mislead the public.

As always, Governor Soludo remains committed to the development of Anambra State and will not be deterred by the antics of desperate political opponents who have chosen the path of falsehood over constructive engagement.

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Tinubu hosts Gov Adeleke, Davido at Lagos residence (Photos)

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu welcomed Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, to his Lagos residence for a private meeting on Monday.

Accompanying the governor was his elder brother and renowned businessman, Chief Adedeji Adeleke, along with his son, internationally acclaimed Afrobeats artiste David Adeleke, widely known by his stage name, Davido.

The visit was announced in a post by President Tinubu’s Special Assistant on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, who shared details on X on Tuesday.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu receives in audience H.E. Ademola Adeleke, the Executive Governor of Osun State, along with Chief Adedeji Adeleke and his son, Afrobeats icon Davido, at his Lagos residence,” Olusegun wrote.

As of the time of filing this report, the reason for the courtesy call had not been made public, and no official statement has been issued either by the Presidency or the Adeleke family.

Images from the visit have surfaced on social media, capturing moments from the closed-door meeting between the President and the Adeleke family members.

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Nigeria should fence its borders for security, says defence chief

Nigeria shares borders with four countries: Niger Republic, Cameroon, Benin, and Chad. All of these neighbouring countries are currently dealing with different levels of insecurity and conflict.

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Christopher Musa, Nigeria’s chief of defence staff, has called for the country to build fences along its borders to improve national security.

Speaking at a security conference in Abuja on Tuesday, Musa stressed the need for better control of Nigeria’s borders.

He pointed out that other countries like Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have had to fence their borders with Afghanistan and Iraq because of security problems.

Musa said Nigeria needs to fully secure and control its borders, explaining that the country’s wealth and natural resources are attracting insurgents and criminals.

“It is Nigeria that everybody is interested in. That is why we need to secure fully and take control of our borders. It is critical for our survival and sovereignty.”

Nigeria shares borders with four countries: Niger Republic, Cameroon, Benin, and Chad. All of these neighbouring countries are currently dealing with different levels of insecurity and conflict.

BusinessDay

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