Crime
Court Declines Adjournment by Defence Counsel Over Emefiele’s Alleged Unlawful Naira Redesign
Court Declines Adjournment by Defence Counsel Over Emefiele’s Alleged Unlawful Naira Redesign
Emefiele’s alleged unlawful naira redesign, Court declines adjournment by defence counsel over statement of MD, Nigerian Printing and Minting.
The trial of the former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele before Justice Maryanne Anineh of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, FCT, High Court, Maitama, Abuja, continued on Tuesday, February 10, 2026 with the refusal of the court to grant a motion of adjournment of proceedings owing to the non-availability of the statement of the managing director of the Nigerian Security Printing Plc, demanded by the defence counsel
The EFCC is prosecuting Emefiele on a four-count charge of unlawful printing of new naira notes.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, prosecution counsel, Abbas Mohammed, informed the court that the matter is for the continuation of cross-examination of PW7, and he is in court.
However, defence counsel, Olalekan Ojo, SAN, raised an objection, saying that at the last adjourned date he requested for a statement the witness took from the Managing Director of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting which he intended to use in court , but the prosecution gave him the document barely 20 minutes before the proceedings.
According to him, the report was a six-page document which ought to have been made available to the defence 48 or at least 24 hours before the day’s proceedings.
“My Lord, the investigation report was made available to us barely 20 minutes before today’s proceedings. Even the defendant has not had the opportunity to see it. We have not had the chance to look at the report critically,” he said.
Ojo, further applied for an adjournment, stressing that the court is a court of record.
Responding, Mohammed told the court that the prosecution did not deliberately delay the investigation report to disadvantage the defence.
“My Lord, the decision to bring the investigation report today was not to deny the defence or the defendant access to the document. On the last adjourned date, during the cross-examination of PW7, learned defence counsel asked the witness whether an investigation report was made and demanded that it be produced,” he said.
He argued that the investigation report was a document meant to be produced by the witness in court.
Opposing the application for adjournment, Mohammed urged the court to direct the defence to proceed with the cross-examination.
“My Lord, we have other dates to take issues relating to the investigation report. We pray that today’s proceedings be exhausted,” he said.
Justice Anineh ruled that the cross-examination of PW7 should continue.
Following the ruling, Ojo, SAN, resumed cross-examination of the witness.
He questioned PW7 on an email exchange between the Managing Director of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company and De La Rue.
Asked who made the email available to the EFCC team, the witness responded: “My Lord, the email was made available to our team by the Managing Director of Printing and Minting.”
When asked how many statements the Managing Director made, the witness replied: “I cannot remember, but he made statements.”
Asked to identify the Managing Director, the witness said: “My Lord, his name is Ahmed Halilu.”
Ojo further asked whether the witness’s team inquired if the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company had ever designed currency in Nigeria. The witness responded that he could not remember.
Asked whether he was the officer who directly interacted with the Managing Director, the witness answered in the affirmative.
On when his team concluded the investigation, the witness stated that he could not be certain.
The defence counsel asked whether the witness’s team inquired from CBN officials the quantity of new naira notes released to Nigerians. The witness answered: “Yes, My Lord.”
Asked how much the CBN said it released to commercial banks across the country, the witness responded: “I do not have that available.”
When asked if he had the information documented somewhere, the witness replied: “I cannot be certain.”
Asked if he would like to refresh his memory, the witness answered: “Yes, My Lord.”
Ojo further asked whether the witness and his team went round the country to check the amount released to different commercial banks.
The witness responded: “My Lord, we had different teams across the country alongside other law enforcement agencies. The teams went round to ensure that the currencies were made available over the counter.”
Asked whether some banks were hoarding the currencies, the witness said: “My Lord, I am aware that there were such cases, but I cannot be specific.”
When the defence asked whether the witness’s team arrested anyone over the alleged infractions, prosecution counsel objected.
Mohammed argued that: “The witness is only here to give evidence on the investigation regarding the approval of the naira redesign and not on issues outside the substance of the charge.”
Responding, Ojo maintained that: “Cross-examination is not limited to evidence in chief.”
Pressing further, the defence counsel asked whether the witness arrested anybody for the infractions.
Emefiele
The witness responded:
“As at the time, I was the head of the team and was also supervising other assignments. I also stated before this court that the EFCC raised a task force that visited different parts of the country. That is why I cannot be specific, because I was not physically present.”
Asked whether he knew what the EFCC did to banks found wanting, the witness said he was not aware.
Asked if he was aware whether the CBN tasked the EFCC to visit and sanction erring banks, the witness replied that he was not aware.
Asked on whose instruction the EFCC acted during the visits, the witness stated that he was not privy to that information.
The defence counsel again requested an adjournment, stating that the prosecution had informed him that it did not have the original statement of the Managing Director of Printing and Minting.
Responding, the prosecution team stated that the Managing Director had already testified before the court as PW2, and that all relevant documents were already before the court.
Justice Anineh thereafter adjourned the matter to March 19; April 1 and 2; May 11 and 12; and June 9 and 10, 2026, for continuation of trial.
EFCC Arraigns Former SKye Bank Chairman, Tunde Ayeni For N15.6b Fraud
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, May 4, 2026, arraigned a former Chairman, Board of Directors of the defunct Skye Bank Plc, Tunde Ayeni before Justice Jude Onwuzuruike of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, Apo, Abuja.
Ayeni was arraigned on a 17-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust, misappropriation and conversion of investors’ funds to the tune N15,665,085,429 (Fifteen Billion, Six hundred and Sixty five Million, Eighty five thousand, Four Hundred and Twenty-nine Naira (N15,665,085,429).
Prosecution counsel E.E. Iheanacho, SAN, informed the court that the matter was slated for arraignment and prosecution ready for trial.
“We have before the court 17-count charge dated April 28, 2026, we humbly apply that the charge be read to the defendant”, he said.
Eereporter.com
Count three of the charge reads: “That you, Tunde Ayeni, whilst being the Chairman, Board of Directors of the defunct Skye Bank Plc between 21st of October, 2014 and 19th November, 2014 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court and having dominion over depositors funds domiciled in the defunct Skye bank Plc’s Suspense Account, committed criminal breach of trust when you dishonestly misappropriated the aggregate sum of Three billion, Two hundred and One million, Five Hundred and Thirty Five Thousand, Four Hundred and Twenty Nine Naira, Forty two kobo(N3,201,535,429.42) by transferring same to Misa Limited’s account No: 1011295717 and 1011295718 domiciled with Zenith Bank in Violation of the Prudential Guidelines and other regulations and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 311 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 312 of the same Act.
Count five of the charge reads: “That you Tunde Ayeni, whilst being the Chairman, Board of Directors of the Defunct Skye Bank Plc on or about 27th November, 2014, at Abuja within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court and having dominion over depositors’ funds domiciled in the defunct Skye bank Plc’s Suspense Account, committed criminal breach of trust when you dishonestly misappropriated the sum of Five Billion, Seventy Eight million, Five hundred and Fifty thousand Naira(N5, 078,550,000) by transferring same to Union Registrar Limited’s Account No: 0003490559 domiciled with Union Bank in violation of the Prudential Guidelines and other Regulations and thereby Committed an offence contrary to Section 311 of the Penal Code and Punishable under Section 312 of same Act.”
Fraud
Ayeni pleaded “not guilty” to the charges when they were read to him.
In view of his “not guilty” plea, Iheanacho prayed the court for a trial date and urged the court to remand the defendant in a Correctional Centre.
Defence counsel, Ahmed Raji Bashir, SAN, informed the court that the charge was given to the defendant on a public holiday adding that he considered it imperative to inform the court. He also prayed the court to release the defendant to him or return him to the custody of the EFCC.
Justice Onwuzuruike adjourned the matter to May 13, 2026, for hearing of the bail application, while the defendant was remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending determination of bail application.
EFCC Arraigns Fake BDC Operator For Alleged N78. 2m Fraud In Onitsha
The Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned one Okeke Ejike Callistus, a fake Bureau De Change operator before Justice D. A. Onyefulu of the Anambra State High Court sitting in Onitsha, Anambra State.
Callistus was arraigned on a ten-count charge bordering on forgery and stealing to the tune of N78, 295, 000 (Seventy-eight million, Two hundred and Ninety-five thousand Naira).
Count one of the charge reads: “Mr. Okeke Ejike Callistus (trading under the name and style of Nwachimereze Amen Resources), sometime on the 2nd of May, 2024, at Onitsha, within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Anambra State, did commit a felony to wit: stealing by fraudulently converting to your personal use the sum of N62, 745, 000. 00 (Sixty-two million, Seven hundred and Forty-five thousand Naira) being property of Ezegwu Leonard Chinedu trading under the name and style of Leatez Enterprises and thereby committed an offence”.
Eereporter.com
Count two of the charge reads: “That you, Okeke Ejike Callistus (trading under the name and style of Nwachimereze Amen Resources), sometime between the 3rd to the 7th of May, 2024 at Onitsha, within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Anambra State, did commit a felony to wit: stealing by fraudulently converting to your personal use the sum of N15, 550, 000. 00 (Fifteen million, Five hundred and Fifty thousand Naira) being property of Ezegwu Leonard Chinedu and thereby committed an offence”.
The offence contravenes Section 342 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap 36, Anambra State and punishable under Section 353 (12) of the same Law.
The defendant pleaded “not guilty” to the charges preferred against him by the Commission and in view of his plea, counsel to the EFCC, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE II Rotimi Enitan Ajobiewe prayed the court for a trial date and for the defendant to be remanded at the facility of the Nigerian Correctional Service.
However, defence counsel, Hypolite Ohaneche informed the court about a pending bail application before it, moved it and prayed the court to admit his client to bail.
Ajobiewe opposed the bail application on the ground that “there is likelihood of the defendant jumping bail due to the fact that he previously jumped bail granted him by the Commission”.
After listening to both sides, Justice Onyefulu granted the defendant bail in the sum of N50million with two sureties. One of them must have a tax clearance certificate. The sureties must be related to the defendant, live within the jurisdiction of the court and have a National identification Number.
EFCC
The defendant was arrested when a petitioner, Ezeugwu Leonard Chinedu, claimed that he gave him the sum of N78, 295, 000 for onward transmission to his business partner in China.
Instead of remitting the money, the defendant remitted some and sent telex copies of “ABA Bank of Cambodia” for the outstanding amount, which upon presentation to the partner in China, were found to be fake.
During the course of investigation, the defendant admitted receiving the said sum but added that he diverted part of the money for his personal use.
Nigerian Navy Storms Dayspring Island, Routs Militants, Demolishes Hideout In Cross River
The Nigerian Navy has escalated its offensive against criminal elements in the maritime domain, delivering decisive blows to militant networks operating along the Calabar–Oron channel in Cross River State.
In a series of aggressive clearance operations, personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) VICTORY and Forward Operating Base (FOB) IBAKA stormed Dayspring Island following the recent surge in kidnappings and related criminal activities.
The operation was anchored on the establishment of a forward security outpost at Idung 1 (Peacock Crossing), providing a tactical foothold for sustained dominance of the creeks and adjoining waterways.
The rapid offensive forced suspected militants to abandon their positions and flee upon contact with advancing naval troops. Maintaining relentless pressure, Nigerian Navy personnel, in conjunction with troops of the Nigerian Army 13 Brigade, secured key waterways and denied the criminals freedom of movement.
Eereporter.com
Exploitation of the area led to the discovery and destruction of a militant hideout linked to a notorious suspect known as “Juju” in the Idung axis. The suspect fled in disarray, abandoning two boats fitted with outboard engines, which were immediately seized. The hideout was subsequently demolished to eliminate its future use as a criminal sanctuary.
Further tightening the noose, troops tracked and apprehended one suspected informant providing support to the militant network. The suspect is currently in custody, undergoing interrogation and will be handed over to the appropriate authorities for prosecution.
Nigerian Navy
To consolidate operational gains and choke criminal activity, a 13-hour restriction on maritime movement from 5:00 pm to 6:00 am has been enforced within the operational area.
Prior to the intervention, militant elements operated with impunity, conducting kidnappings and extorting riverine communities. The sustained naval onslaught has now degraded their operational capability, disrupted their logistics, and confined their activities deep within the creeks.
The Nigerian Navy remains resolute and will sustain this aggressive posture, ensuring that all criminal elements are flushed out and the maritime environment remains secure for lawful activities.
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