RismadarVoice Reporters
October 6, 2026
An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission witness has told the Federal Capital Territory High Court that the Federal Ministry of Finance did not approve the withdrawal of ₦124.86 billion from the Consolidated Revenue Account by the Central Bank of Nigeria during the tenure of former CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele.
The witness, Ali Mohammed, a director at the Federal Ministry of Finance, gave the testimony on Tuesday before Justice Maryanne Anenih in the ongoing trial of Emefiele.
Mohammed told the court that he received correspondence from the Special Investigator appointed to investigate the CBN under Emefiele concerning the ₦124.86 billion transaction.
According to him, he subsequently convened an emergency meeting involving the heads of three divisions under the ministry’s Home Finance Unit, which he supervises.
He testified that officials of the three divisions said they had no knowledge did not know about
Mohammed said he then wrote to the Accountant-General of the Federation through the ministry’s Permanent Secretary seeking clarification on the transaction.
According to the witness, the Office of the Accountant-General also said it had no record or knowledge of the transaction and concluded that the withdrawal had been carried out by the CBN.
He said the findings were subsequently communicated to the Special Investigator in response to the inquiry.
During proceedings, Mohammed tendered correspondence from the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation relating to the transaction.
The documents were admitted in evidence after Emefiele’s counsel, Olalekan Ojo, SAN, did not object and did not object to them forming part of the prosecution’s case against the former CBN governor. Emefiele has denied wrongdoing in the proceedings, and the court has not delivered a final judgment on the charges against him.
Justice Anenih adjourned further hearing until October 7, when the defence is expected to cross-examine the witness.
