The Special Offences Court in Lagos has ruled that it will continue hearing the corruption case against former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele, rejecting a request to halt proceedings.
Delivering his ruling on Wednesday, Justice Rahman Oshodi dismissed the application for his recusal, stating that the allegations of bias against him were unproven.
Citing legal precedents, the judge explained that claims of judicial bias are not enough to warrant disqualification or recusal unless they are personal or based on judicial reasoning. He concluded that the application lacked merit and refused the request.
During the previous court session on Monday, Emefiele’s lead counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), had asked Justice Oshodi to step down from the case. The defence argued that by allowing the prosecution to ask a leading question—despite an earlier objection—the judge had made it difficult for the defence to cross-examine the witness fairly. This, they claimed, compromised the fairness of the trial.
However, Justice Oshodi rejected the request and will continue presiding over the case.
