A Lagos Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja has fixed September 15, 2025, to deliver its ruling on an application by former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, seeking a forensic analysis of WhatsApp messages admitted as evidence in his ongoing fraud trial.
Emefiele is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on allegations of misappropriating $4.5 billion and ₦2.8 billion during his tenure at the apex bank.
At the latest hearing, Emefiele’s lead counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), urged the court to permit a forensic expert to examine both the mobile device—referred to in court as “iPhone 2″—from which the EFCC allegedly extracted the WhatsApp chats, and the printed copies of the messages already tendered as evidence.
Ojo argued that verifying the authenticity of the digital evidence was critical to ensuring a fair trial, noting that the messages were central to the EFCC’s case against his client.
“My Lord, we are requesting permission to conduct a forensic analysis of the mobile device and the extracted messages to verify their authenticity and integrity. It is a crucial element of our defence,” Ojo submitted.
However, opposing the application, EFCC counsel, Chinenye Okezie, argued that Emefiele’s legal team failed to meet the procedural requirements necessary for making such a request.
Okezie maintained that once a document or device is admitted as evidence, it becomes the property of the court and cannot be tampered with until the conclusion of the trial.
She further pointed out that the defence had not provided essential details about the planned forensic examination, such as the name of the laboratory to be used, the qualifications of the forensic expert, or the estimated time required for the analysis.
“The defendants have not suggested any accredited forensic laboratories for the court to consider,” Okezie noted.
Nonetheless, she submitted that if the court decides to allow the forensic examination, the EFCC’s own Director of Forensics should nominate a certified laboratory for the exercise.
Okezie also insisted that any analysis of the device must take place in the presence of a qualified expert chosen by the prosecution, to prevent tampering and to protect the chain of custody.
Following arguments from both sides, Justice Rahman Oshodi adjourned the matter for ruling until September 15, after the court’s annual vacation.
Emefiele is standing trial alongside his co-defendant, Henry Omoile, on a 19-count charge bordering on conspiracy, money laundering, and fraud.
At the last hearing on May 27, the EFCC’s eighth prosecution witness, Alvan Gurumnaan, testified that Emefiele allegedly received $17.1 million in cash through a proxy over a period of three years. The EFCC also tendered several documents linked to these transactions as part of its evidence.
In response, Emefiele’s legal team signaled their intention to subject all prosecution documents and exhibits to independent forensic scrutiny.
