By Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos State Special Offences Court has dismissed an application by former CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, seeking his recusal from the trial.
Delivering his ruling on Wednesday, Justice Oshodi ruled that the allegations of bias raised by the defence were unsubstantiated and did not warrant his withdrawal from the case.
The court emphasized that judicial bias must be personal or based on improper reasoning to justify a judge’s disqualification, which was not the case here.
Emefiele’s lead counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), had argued that the judge should step down due to an alleged bias, citing the allowance of a leading question despite the defence’s objections.
However, Justice Oshodi maintained that the defence had failed to provide sufficient grounds to support its claims, reinforcing his commitment to a fair trial.
With the judge’s recusal request denied, the trial is set to continue, as Emefiele faces legal battles over allegations linked to his tenure at the Central Bank.
