$4.5bn Fraud Trial: EFCC, defence clash over forensic examination of Emefiele’s iPhone
The trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele, hit a snag on Tuesday as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the defence team clashed over the forensic examination of an iPhone and WhatsApp chats submitted as evidence in his $4.5 billion fraud trial.
Emefiele is facing a 19-count charge bordering on alleged gratification, corrupt practices, and abuse of office, while his co-defendant, Henry Omoile, is facing three separate counts of unlawful acceptance of gifts. Both defendants have pleaded not guilty to all the counts.
The defence team, led by Olalekan Ojo, SAN, alleged that the EFCC obstructed the court-ordered forensic examination of the iPhone, tagged “iPhone 2”, and its WhatsApp contents.
Ojo claimed that despite the presence of both parties and the court registrar on the scheduled examination dates, September 24 and 25, 2025, the EFCC refused to grant access to the full messages on the phone.
In response, the EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, vehemently denied blocking the examination.
He further maintained that the earlier forensic analysis conducted by the defence’s expert was flawed and failed to meet established standards.
Oyedepo also raised concerns about the expert’s lack of a physical laboratory and verifiable office address, as well as the risk of data compromise due to the expert’s online analysis.
In his ruling, Justice Rahman Oshodi directed the prosecution to file its forensic report within 24 hours and allowed the EFCC’s witness to continue his testimony.
The judge also ordered both parties to adopt electronic service of court documents to prevent further procedural delays.
The prosecution witness, Alvan Gurumnaan, an EFCC operative, testified that the agency’s investigation revealed multiple cash deliveries allegedly linked to Emefiele and his associates, based on WhatsApp communications and testimonies from CBN and Zenith Bank staff.
Gurumnaan presented several WhatsApp records, marked as Exhibits P1 to P27, which detailed large foreign currency transactions coordinated through intermediaries.
The trial has been adjourned to October 8 and 9, 2025, for continuation of trial.
