Henry Omoile, who is standing trial alongside former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele, has told a Lagos court that he lied in the statement he earlier submitted to investigators of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Omoile made the admission on Friday, March 6, 2026, while testifying before Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos. His testimony came during a trial-within-trial, a legal process designed to determine whether statements made to investigators were given voluntarily.

The trial-within-trial focuses on the circumstances under which Omoile’s statement—marked as Exhibits TWT 1 to 4—was obtained by EFCC officials during the investigation of the alleged $4.5 billion fraud case involving the former apex bank chief.

While addressing the court, Omoile insisted that the documents presented as confessional statements did not reflect the truth of what happened.

According to him, he only wrote what investigators allegedly instructed him to write because he felt threatened by the possibility of being charged to court.

“The statement exhibits in trial-within-trial 1–4, I did not confess in that statement. I lied in my statement. EFCC threatened me that if I did not write what they wanted, they would charge me to court,” Omoile told the court during his testimony.

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The ongoing case is part of a broader corruption trial involving former CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele. The EFCC has filed a 19-count charge against Emefiele, accusing him of receiving gratification and making corrupt demands while serving as the head of Nigeria’s central bank.

Omoile, who is listed as a co-defendant in the matter, is facing a separate three-count charge related to the alleged unlawful acceptance of gifts as an agent.

Both defendants have pleaded not guilty to all charges filed against them.

During cross-examination by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), Omoile admitted that he was properly cautioned before writing the statement and that he personally signed the cautionary words attached to it.

However, he maintained that the statement was not voluntary because he allegedly felt pressured by investigators.

When asked whether the EFCC had filed a counter-affidavit challenging the claims he raised against the agency, Omoile confirmed that such a document existed. Despite this acknowledgment, he admitted that he did not present the counter-affidavit before the court.

Omoile also informed the court that he had consulted with his lawyer regarding a fundamental human rights enforcement suit. He confirmed that a motion ex parte related to the matter had already been submitted earlier that morning.

Under further questioning by the prosecution, Omoile admitted that the court ruling he presented did not have a direct connection to Exhibit D4, though he insisted that the issues were still related.

Responding to questions about the circumstances under which he made the statement to EFCC investigators, Omoile said his main concern at the time was simply to leave the custody of the anti-graft agency.

“I just wanted to go home,” he told the court.

The prosecution also asked whether he had filed any formal complaint or petition against the EFCC investigative team regarding the alleged threats. Omoile responded that he had not filed any complaint against the investigators.

Earlier in the proceedings, he had also alleged that EFCC officials attempted to pressure him to provide information that would implicate Emefiele in the corruption case.

According to Omoile, the head of the investigative team, identified as Alvan, allegedly told him that he could receive bail and possibly avoid being charged if he cooperated with investigators by providing incriminating evidence against the former CBN governor.

After hearing the testimonies and arguments presented during the trial-within-trial, Justice Rahman Oshodi adjourned the matter until April 17, 2026.

The next hearing will focus on the adoption of final written addresses from both the prosecution and the defence before the court decides on the admissibility of the disputed statements.