Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, has dismissed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission's (EFCC) attempt to introduce additional proof of evidence in the fraud trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele. Ruling on Emefiele's objection, Justice Muazu noted that the EFCC had initially submitted extra evidence on February 12, 2024, incorporating statements from former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, and Bamayi Haruna Mairiga. However, he ruled that allowing further evidence after multiple amendments to the charge would violate Emefiele’s right to a fair trial. The judge emphasized that the prosecution had not confronted Emefiele with the new evidence during the investigation, making the move unlawful. Describing the EFCC’s action as “trial by ambush” and “fishing for evidence,” Justice Muazu stated that charges should be based on completed investigations, not ongoing inquiries. However, he declined to strike out the case, reasoning that the trial was already well underway. He also refused Emefiele’s request to remove Mustapha and Mairiga’s testimonies from court records, despite arguments that their statements violated constitutional fair hearing rights. The EFCC’s latest filing, dated October 15, 2024, sought to introduce fresh evidence over a year after the initial charges and to call two new witnesses, Tommy Odama John and Ifeanyi Omeke, whose statements were made in August 2024. Emefiele's legal team, led by Mathew Burkaa (SAN), argued that the EFCC had failed to present these statements during the investigation, further compromising due process. Justice Muazu has scheduled the trial’s continuation for June 3, 2025.