Key Takeaways

• A Federal Ministry of Finance director told the FCT High Court that the Ministry was not aware of a ₦124.86 billion withdrawal from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
• Ali Mohammed, who testified as prosecution witness 10, said he checked with the divisions under his supervision after receiving an investigation letter.
• He said the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) also confirmed that it was not aware of the transaction.
• The court admitted documents relating to the transaction as Exhibits AJ, AK and AL.
• Another CBN witness testified about a separate ₦1.4 billion debit linked to the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
• The trial was adjourned to October 7, 2026, for cross-examination and continuation.

Finance Ministry Witness Says It Was Unaware Of ₦124.86bn CBN Withdrawal

A director in the Federal Ministry of Finance, Ali Mohammed, has told the Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, that the Ministry was not aware of the withdrawal of ₦124.86 billion from the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Mohammed gave the evidence while testifying as prosecution witness 10, or PW10, in the ongoing trial of former CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele.

He was led in evidence by prosecution counsel Abbas Mohammed.

Emefiele is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a four-count charge bordering on alleged disobedience to lawful directives and unlawful acts allegedly connected to the controversial naira redesign policy.

What The Finance Ministry Director Told The Court

Mohammed explained that he appeared before the court after his Ministry received a letter from an investigation team concerning ₦154 billion said to have been withdrawn by the CBN.

He told the court that the Department of Home Finance, which he oversees, operates through three divisions: State and Public Finance, Trade, and Banking and Other Financial Institutions.

According to the witness, he contacted the three divisions after receiving the investigator’s letter to determine whether any of them was aware of the transaction.

He said none of the divisions was privy to the transaction.

Mohammed identified the State and Public Finance Investment Division as the relevant division because it oversees the CBN.

How The Ministry Checked The Transaction

Mohammed told the court that, after making inquiries within the Ministry, he wrote through the Permanent Secretary to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

He explained that the office was the appropriate authority to approach because it serves as the custodian of payments for the Federal Government.

The witness said the Accountant-General’s Office responded in writing that it was not aware of the transaction.

According to him, the response indicated that the money was a direct credit from the CBN.

Mohammed said he relied on that response before preparing his response to the Special Investigator.

He told the court:

“I responded via a memo of what has transpired between my office and that of the AGF and sought for clearance for such document to be forwarded to the Special Investigator. Subsequently, the letter was forwarded.”

Why Exhibits AJ, AK And AL Matter

The documents sent to the Special Investigator included a letter bearing the Federal Ministry of Finance logo and signed by Mohammed, together with a letter signed by the Accountant-General of the Federation.

The originals had already been forwarded to the Special Investigator, prompting Mohammed to tender certified true copies in court.

Defence counsel Olalekan Ojo (SAN) said he had no objection to their admission.

Justice Maryanne Anineh subsequently admitted the documents and marked them as Exhibits AJ, AK and AL.

When the prosecution asked Mohammed to explain the purpose of Exhibit AJ, he said the document showed that the Federal Ministry of Finance did not know about the ₦124.86 billion withdrawal.

He also told the court that Exhibit AL confirmed that the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation was not aware of the transaction.

Witness Explains The CBN’s “Direct Debit”

While examining Exhibit AJ, the prosecution directed Mohammed’s attention to the third line of the document.

The witness read the relevant portion, which classified the amount in the Ministry’s records as a direct debit by the CBN.

Asked to explain the meaning of the phrase, Mohammed said it meant the money had been withdrawn from the CBN without recourse to any office in Nigeria.

He further stated that, under normal circumstances, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, which was supervised by the Federal Ministry of Finance, would be directed before such a withdrawal was made.

Mohammed added that the letter did not show that the Federal Ministry of Finance had directed the Accountant-General’s Office to make the withdrawal, particularly from the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

Separate CBN Testimony Focuses On ₦1.4bn Debit

Earlier in the proceedings, prosecution witness nine, Hamisu Abdullahi, Director of Banking Services at the CBN, continued his testimony.

The prosecution referred Abdullahi to an email he had mentioned during his cross-examination on May 4, 2026.

The witness confirmed that he remembered the email and explained that it had been generated from the CBN’s computer system.

He said the document had been certified as a true copy, signed and accompanied by a certificate of compliance.

According to Abdullahi, the email conveyed a directive from the then CBN Governor to recover a ₦1.4 billion debit in the receivables account from the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

After the witness identified the document, the prosecution sought to tender the email and its accompanying certificate.

Justice Anineh admitted the documents and marked them as Exhibits AH1 and AH2.

There were no further questions for PW9, and he was discharged from the witness box.

What Happens Next In The Emefiele Trial

Following the day’s proceedings, Justice Anineh adjourned the matter to October 7, 2026.

The case is scheduled to continue with cross-examination and further proceedings.

The latest testimony has placed the focus on what government financial institutions knew about the transactions under examination, as the court continues to consider evidence in the trial.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did the Finance Ministry witness say about the ₦124.86 billion withdrawal?

Ali Mohammed told the court that the Federal Ministry of Finance was not aware of the ₦124.86 billion withdrawal from the CBN.

Who is Ali Mohammed?

Ali Mohammed is a director in the Federal Ministry of Finance who testified as prosecution witness 10 in the Emefiele trial.

What did the Accountant-General’s Office tell the Ministry?

The witness said the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation responded in writing that it was not aware of the transaction.

Which documents were admitted in relation to the ₦124.86 billion transaction?

The court admitted certified copies of documents relating to the transaction and marked them as Exhibits AJ, AK and AL.

What was the separate ₦1.4 billion testimony about?

CBN Director of Banking Services Hamisu Abdullahi testified about an email concerning a directive to recover a ₦1.4 billion debit from the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

When will the Emefiele trial continue?

The case was adjourned to October 7, 2026, for cross-examination and continuation of the trial.

Conclusion

The latest proceedings in the Godwin Emefiele trial have focused on testimony from officials connected to the Federal Ministry of Finance and the CBN concerning financial transactions under investigation.

For the ₦124.86 billion transaction, the Finance Ministry witness told the court that neither the Ministry nor the Accountant-General’s Office was aware of the withdrawal. The court has admitted the related documents as exhibits, while further proceedings are expected when the trial resumes on October 7, 2026.