Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, has asked an Abuja High Court to foreclose the prosecution in his ongoing trial for alleged procurement fraud.

Emefiele, who is facing a 20-count charge brought by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, is accused of awarding vehicle supply contracts worth ₦1.21 billion to April 1616, a company linked to a CBN staff member, between 2018 and 2022. He has pleaded not guilty.

At Tuesday’s proceedings, his counsel, Mathew Burkaa (SAN), urged Justice Hamza Muazu to foreclose the prosecution, citing its absence despite being aware of the adjourned date.

Burkaa noted that he had been informed via the court registrar of a letter from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeking adjournment. He argued that since the case was filed by the Attorney-General’s office, EFCC had no legal basis to seek adjournment.

He criticised the absence of other prosecution lawyers and reminded the court that the state had previously requested an accelerated hearing.

Justice Muazu, however, granted the prosecution one final opportunity, warning that failure to appear at the next sitting would compel the court to take necessary action. The case was adjourned until 22 October.