Tunde Bakare
Justice Maryanne Anineh of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, Maitama, Abuja, on Monday, May 11, 2026 admitted in evidence, newspaper publications tendered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC in the trial of the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele for the alleged unlawful naira redesign.
While leading the Eight Prosecution Witness, PW8, Jegede Oluwasegun, an official of the National Library in his testimony, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, presented certified copies of The Punch, Thisday, Vanguard, Daily Sun and Nation newspapers, containing reports of the alleged unlawful naira redesign, including payment receipts for the purchase of the newspapers.
According to Oyedepo, presenting this witness and the documents was in response to a motion on notice from the defence counsel, filed on March 31, 2026 for the prosecution to produce all press releases and newspapers publications regarding the alleged unlawful act.
The documents were tendered and admitted in evidence with no objection from the defence.
During the cross examination of the witness by defence counsel, Olalekun Ojo, SAN, the witness disclosed that his schedule of duty was to attend to information needs of readers and certification of newspaper documents. He stated that he was neither the author of the newspaper publications nor can he speak to the content of the documents as his duty was simply to certify newspapers.
Emefiele is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a four-count charge, bordering on the alleged unlawful printing of new naira notes.