The trial of former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, took a significant turn on Thursday after an Ikeja Special Offences Court admitted into evidence a set of statements he made to investigators, despite fierce objections from his legal team.

Delivering a ruling that could shape the direction of the high-profile corruption case, Justice Rahman Oshodi held that the disputed extra-judicial statements were admissible and subsequently entered them as Exhibit K31.

The decision removes a major procedural hurdle in the case and paves the way for the substantive trial to continue. The matter was adjourned until October 6 for further proceedings.

Emefiele is currently facing a 19-count charge bordering on alleged abuse of office, corrupt demands and gratification involving transactions estimated at $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion. His co-defendant, Henry Omoile, is being prosecuted on a separate three-count charge relating to the alleged unlawful receipt of gifts.

The court's ruling followed a legal battle over the circumstances under which the former apex bank chief made the statements. His counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), had urged the court to reject the documents, insisting they were not voluntarily obtained.

According to the defence, Emefiele was subjected to physical and psychological pressure during his detention, making the statements unreliable. Ojo argued that his client spent more than 157 days in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), a situation he described as oppressive.

Relying on provisions of the Anti-Torture Act, 2017, and sections of the Evidence Act, the senior advocate maintained that the court should disregard the statements because the prosecution failed to provide video recordings of the interrogation sessions.

He told the court that such recordings would have been the clearest proof that investigators complied with legal safeguards and due process requirements during questioning.

Ojo further raised concerns about the role played by the lawyer who witnessed the interviews, insisting that the prosecution had not sufficiently demonstrated that the statements were made freely and without coercion.

The prosecution, however, dismissed the allegations and defended the integrity of the investigation.

Leading the government's case, the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), presented an investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Alvan Gurumnaan, to testify on the circumstances surrounding the interviews.

The witness informed the court that Emefiele was invited for questioning and that his legal representative was present throughout the process.

Oyedepo argued that the defence had failed to establish any basis for excluding the statements, stressing that they did not amount to confessional evidence.

According to him, nothing contained in the statements could reasonably be interpreted as an admission of guilt, making the defence's challenge unnecessary.

With the court now admitting the statements into evidence, attention shifts to the next phase of the trial as prosecutors continue efforts to prove the allegations against the former CBN governor.