EFCC Tenders Newspaper Publications as Evidence in Emefiele’s Naira Redesign Trial

National Library official confirms certification of media reports as prosecution deepens case against former CBN governor over controversial currency redesign policy.

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By A1NEWS International – ABUJA — May 11, 2026

The trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, resumed on Monday at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, Abuja, with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) tendering certified newspaper publications as evidence in the controversial Naira redesign case.

The documents were admitted through a subpoenaed witness from the National Library of Nigeria as the anti-graft agency continued its prosecution of the former apex bank chief over alleged unlawful approval of redesigned Naira notes.

EFCC Presents Certified Newspaper Publications

At the resumed hearing before Justice Maryanne Anenih, the EFCC presented several newspaper publications relating to the Naira redesign policy through its eighth prosecution witness (PW8), Jegede Oluwasegun, an official of the National Library of Nigeria.

Led in evidence by EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, the witness explained his official responsibilities, including the certification of publications deposited with the National Library.

Oyedepo subsequently tendered certified copies of publications from Punch, ThisDay, Vanguard, Daily Sun, and The Nation newspapers, alongside certification receipts issued by the National Library.

Counsel to Emefiele, Olalekan Ojo, SAN, did not object to the admissibility of the documents, prompting the court to admit them as exhibits.

Charges Against Emefiele

Emefiele is standing trial on a four-count charge bordering on alleged disobedience to lawful directives and acts said to have caused public injury during the implementation of the Naira redesign policy.

In the charge marked CR/264/2024, the EFCC alleged that between October 19, 2022, and March 5, 2023, Emefiele unlawfully approved the printing of 375,520,000 pieces of colour-swapped N1,000 notes valued at N11.05 billion without the recommendation of the CBN Board and without strict presidential approval as required by law.

According to the prosecution, the alleged actions violated Section 19 of the CBN Act and constituted offences punishable under Section 123 of the Penal Code, Cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990.

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The former CBN governor has, however, pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Defence Challenges Reliability of Newspaper Content

During cross-examination, defence counsel Ojo questioned the witness on the authenticity of the newspaper contents.

The witness admitted before the court that he was not the author of the reports and could not independently verify the accuracy of the published materials.

“What I do is to certify the newspapers. I cannot 100 per cent say the content of the papers is right because I am not the author,” the witness stated.

Ojo later presented a certified copy of a ThisDay publication dated January 31, 2023, which the witness identified and confirmed before the court.

The prosecution raised no objection to the document, and Justice Anenih admitted it as an exhibit.

Court Adjourns Proceedings

Following the proceedings, Justice Maryanne Anenih adjourned the matter until Wednesday for continuation of hearing.

The case remains one of the high-profile prosecutions linked to Nigeria’s controversial Naira redesign policy, which triggered widespread cash shortages and economic disruptions across the country during its implementation period.