A Director in the Federal Ministry of Finance, Ali Mohammed, on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, told the Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, that the ministry was not aware of the withdrawal of N124.86 billion from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Mohammed, who appeared as the 10th prosecution witness (PW10) in the ongoing trial of former CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, made the disclosure while giving evidence under examination by prosecution counsel, Abbas Mohammed.
The witness told the court that he appeared in connection with a letter the Ministry of Finance received from the investigation team concerning N154 billion reportedly withdrawn by the CBN.
Explaining his responsibilities, Mohammed said the Department of Home Finance operates through three divisions: State and Public Finance, Trade Division, and Banking and Other Financial Institutions, all of which fall under his supervision.
He said that after receiving the investigator’s letter, he contacted the three divisions to determine whether any of them had knowledge of the transaction.
According to Mohammed, none of the divisions was aware of the transaction.
He identified the State and Public Finance Investment Division as the relevant division because of its oversight responsibilities relating to the CBN.
The witness told the court that he subsequently wrote through the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) to establish whether the office was aware of the transaction.
Mohammed explained that the step was necessary because the OAGF is responsible for the custody and processing of payments on behalf of the Federal Government.
He said the OAGF responded in writing that it was also unaware of the transaction and indicated that the money represented a direct credit from the CBN.
Mohammed said he relied on the response from the Accountant-General before preparing a response to the Special Investigator.
“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,” he told the court.
The witness said the documents sent to the Special Investigator included a letter bearing the Federal Ministry of Finance’s logo, which he signed, alongside a letter signed by the Accountant-General of the Federation.
When the documents were presented in court, Mohammed identified them as the documents he had previously referred to.
The prosecution subsequently sought to tender the documents in evidence.
Asked about the original copies, Mohammed said they had already been forwarded to the Special Investigator. He therefore sought to tender certified true copies of the documents.
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.
During further examination, the prosecution asked Mohammed to explain the purpose of Exhibit AJ.
The witness said the document established that the Federal Ministry of Finance was not aware of the N124.86 billion withdrawal.
He explained that his conclusion was based on the response received from the Accountant-General of the Federation, which he relied upon before signing the document.
On Exhibit AL, Mohammed told the court that it constituted confirmation from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation that it was unaware of the transaction involving the N124.86 billion.
The evidence forms part of the ongoing proceedings against Emefiele. The testimony and documents admitted by the court represent evidence presented by the prosecution, while the former CBN governor’s defence will have the opportunity to challenge the prosecution’s case as the trial progresses.