The Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja has assumed jurisdiction to hear charges of gratification, corrupt demands, and fraudulent receipt of property levelled against the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.

In his ruling on Wednesday, Justice Rahman Oshodi stated that the prosecution, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had successfully established the court’s territorial jurisdiction to hear counts 8 to 20 of the 26-count charge against Emefiele.

However, the court ruled that counts 1 to 4 were unconstitutional as they lacked a basis in Nigerian law. These counts pertain to allegations of abuse of office, including the allocation of foreign exchange without competitive bidding. The court struck out these charges for failing to meet legal requirements.

Emefiele was arraigned on 8 April 2024 on a 26-count charge involving the alleged abuse of office and the irregular allocation of $4.5 billion and ₦2.8 billion.

Justice Oshodi emphasised that the dismissal of counts 1 to 4 does not affect the validity of the remaining charges. He added that the evidence presented supports the court’s jurisdiction over counts 8 to 26.

The trial has been adjourned to 24 and 26 February for continuation.