A Lagos State High Court has ruled that it has jurisdiction over hearing part of the charges brought against former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Delivering his ruling on Wednesday, Justice Rahman Oshodi stated that counts 8 to 20 of the 26-count charge fall within the court’s territorial jurisdiction. However, he struck out counts 1 to 4, declaring them unconstitutional as they are not based on any existing Nigerian law.

Emefiele was arraigned by the EFCC on April 8, 2024, on a 26-count charge. These charges include alleged abuse of office, irregular allocation of $4.5 billion and ₦2.8 billion, and other corruption-related offenses.

The charges are anchored on various laws, including: Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011 (Section 73 and Section 328), Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 (Sections 8, 10, and 19).

Justice Oshodi ruled that the allegations in counts 1 to 4, which relate to the abuse of office and allocation of foreign exchange without bidding, do not constitute offenses under any written Nigerian law. As a result, these counts were struck out for being unconstitutional.

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“The conduct alleged in these counts, while concerning, is not defined as an offense in any existing law,” the judge stated.

The court determined that counts 8 to 20, which include charges of accepting gratification, corrupt demands, and receiving fraudulently obtained property, fall within the court’s territorial jurisdiction. Justice Oshodi ruled that the evidence provided by the EFCC establishes a sufficient connection to the Lagos State court.

“This ruling addresses only the objection regarding jurisdiction and does not delve into the merits of the case,” Justice Oshodi clarified.

The court has scheduled the continuation of the trial for February 24 and 26, 2025.

This ruling sets the stage for the EFCC to present its case on the remaining charges, as the court prepares to examine the allegations in detail.