BREAKING: Emefiele’s request to stop trial denied as judge rejects recusal plea
On Wednesday, February 26, the Special Offences Court in Lagos, led by Justice Rahman Oshodi, ruled against former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele’s request to halt his ongoing corruption trial.
Emefiele had asked the court to remove Justice Oshodi from the case, claiming bias in the proceedings. However, Justice Oshodi dismissed this request, stating that the allegations of bias were not proven.
In his ruling, the judge explained that merely suggesting bias is not enough to remove a judge from a trial. He noted that any claims of judicial bias must be personal or based on reasoning, and in this case, the defense’s arguments lacked sufficient grounds for recusal.
The request to remove the judge was made after a court session on Monday, where Emefiele’s lead lawyer, Olalekan Ojo, SAN, argued that Justice Oshodi had allowed the prosecution to ask a leading question, which the defense had previously objected to. Ojo claimed this made it impossible for the defense to cross-examine the witness fairly, and therefore, asked the judge to step down from the trial.
Justice Oshodi’s decision means that the trial will continue as planned, with the request for recusal being rejected.
