Emefiele Loses Bid To Stop Trial As Judge Refuses To Recuse Self
The Special Offences Court in Lagos has refused to stop hearing the corruption allegations made against the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.
Justice Rahman Oshodi in his ruling on Wednesday dismissed the request for him to recuse himself from the trial, stating that the allegations of bias against him were unsubstantiated.
Citing a range of legal authorities, the court held that judicial bias is insufficient to justify disqualification or recusal, adding that it must be personal or based on some judicial reasoning.
The judge subsequently held that the application for his recusal lacked merit and he promptly refused it.
At the last sitting of the court on Monday, Emefiele, through his lead counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), had requested that Justice Oshodi step down from the proceedings.
The counsel argued that by allowing the prosecution ask a leading question that the defence had previously objected to, the judge had made it impossible for the defence to fairly cross-examine the witness. He requested that Justice Oshodi recuse himself from further hearings.
