The Special Offences Division of the Lagos High Court in Ikeja has granted the application of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, to engage forensic experts to examine WhatsApp conversations and a mobile device marked “iPhone 2” that were tendered as evidence in his ongoing trial.
Justice Rahman Oshodi in his ruling held that the defendant had the right to conduct an independent forensic review provided safeguards were in place to protect the integrity of the evidence.
He ordered that the inspection of the evidence be conducted in the presence of the representatives of all parties in the case, with each party allowed no more than one lawyer and one forensic expert.
The court also directed that the process be supervised by a court representative and conducted between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on September 24 and 26, 2025.
Emefiele, who is facing a 19-count charge alongside co-defendant Henry Omoile, is accused of abuse of office, receiving gratification, accepting gifts through agents, corruption, and fraudulent property transactions involving $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion.