Court Admits More Exhibits in Trial of Ex-CBN Governor Emefiele Over Naira Redesign

A Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, has admitted additional exhibits tendered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in the ongoing trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele, over the alleged unlawful redesign of the naira.

Justice Maryanne Anineh admitted the documents on Monday after they were presented through the eighth prosecution witness, Jegede Oluwasegun, an official of the National Library.

The exhibits included certified copies of newspaper publications from The Punch, ThisDay, Vanguard, Daily Sun, and The Nation, as well as payment receipts for the purchase of those newspapers. The publications contained reports relating to the controversial naira redesign policy.

EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, informed the court that the documents were produced in compliance with a motion filed by the defence on March 31, 2026, which requested the prosecution to provide all press releases and newspaper publications concerning the alleged unlawful act.

The defence team, led by Olalekan Ojo, did not object to the admission of the documents.

During cross-examination, the witness clarified that his role at the National Library is limited to attending to readers’ information needs and certifying newspaper documents. He told the court that he did not author the newspaper reports nor had personal knowledge of their contents beyond the certification process.

Emefiele is currently facing a four-count charge filed by the EFCC over allegations of unlawful printing and redesign of naira notes during his tenure as CBN governor.