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 (CBN).....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Mohammed made the disclosure while testifying as the 10th prosecution witness (PW10) in the ongoing trial of former CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele.

Led in evidence by prosecution counsel Abbas Mohammed, the witness explained that he appeared before the court after the ministry received a letter from an investigation team concerning a reported ₦154 billion withdrawal by the CBN.

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 linked to the controversial naira redesign policy.

Explaining his role at the Ministry of Finance, Ali Mohammed said the Department of Home Finance comprises three divisions: State and Public Finance, Trade Division, and Banking and Other Financial Institutions.

He said the three divisions were under his supervision and that, after receiving the investigation letter, he contacted the divisions to determine whether any of them had knowledge of the transaction.

According to him, none of the divisions was aware of the transaction.

Mohammed explained that the State and Public Finance Investment Division was the relevant unit because it oversees the CBN.

He told the court that, as a civil servant, he understood that the Minister of Finance does not directly authorise payments to individuals or organisations.

He therefore wrote through the Permanent Secretary of the ministry to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) to determine whether the office was aware of the transaction, noting that the OAGF is responsible for Federal Government payments.

The witness said the OAGF responded in writing that it had no knowledge of the transaction and concluded that the money represented a direct credit from the CBN.

Explaining his decision to contact the OAGF, Mohammed said it was the appropriate office to approach and that he relied on the Accountant-General’s response before replying 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.

He 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.

The witness identified the documents when they were presented in court, after which the prosecution sought to tender them as evidence.

Mohammed explained that the original documents had already been forwarded to the Special Investigator, prompting him to tender certified true copies.

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

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

During examination of the exhibits, the prosecution asked Mohammed to explain the purpose of Exhibit AJ.

The witness said the document established that the Federal Ministry of Finance had no knowledge of the ₦124.86 billion withdrawal.

He explained that he relied on the letter received from the Accountant-General’s office before signing the document.

Regarding Exhibit AL, Mohammed said it was confirmation from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation that the office was unaware of the transaction involving the ₦124.86 billion.

Referring to the third line of Exhibit AJ, Mohammed read: “Accordingly, the figure under consideration was classified in the Ministry’s record as a direct debit letter by the Central Bank of Nigeria.”

Explaining the phrase “direct debit,” he told the court that it meant the money was withdrawn from the CBN without recourse to any other government office.

“Direct debit means it was withdrawn from the Central Bank of Nigeria without recourse of any office in Nigeria. That is what it means,” he said.

The witness further stated that, under normal circumstances, the Office of the Accountant-General, which is supervised by the Federal Ministry of Finance, would have to receive a directive before such a withdrawal could be made.

He added that the letter did not show that the Federal Ministry of Finance had directed the OAGF to make the withdrawal, particularly from the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

Earlier in the proceedings, prosecution witness nine (PW9), Hamisu Abdullahi, Director of Banking Services at the CBN, continued his testimony.

The prosecution reminded Abdullahi that during his cross-examination on May 4, 2026, he had referred to a specific email and asked whether he could still recall it.

The witness answered in the affirmative, explaining that the email was generated from the CBN’s computer system, 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 ₦1.4 billion debited from the receivables account through the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

When shown the document, the witness confirmed that he could identify it.

The prosecution subsequently tendered the email and its accompanying certificate.

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

With no further questions for PW9, the witness was discharged from the witness box.

Justice Anineh subsequently adjourned the case until October 7, 2026, for cross-examination and continuation of the trial.

Lionel Messi is set to earn his 208th cap for Argentina when the world champions face Benin in a farewell friendly at the sold-out Monumental Stadium on Tuesday, with kick-off scheduled for midnight BST on Wednesday, October 7.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The 39-year-old had announced his retirement from international football on August 31, six weeks after Argentina’s World Cup final defeat to Spain, saying he felt he had nothing more to give.

However, Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has left the door open for Messi to return to the national team should the legendary forward reconsider his decision.

Scaloni reflected on Messi’s enormous influence on the national team after sharing a highly successful period with the captain, which included Copa America triumphs and the 2022 World Cup victory.

“Messi leaves behind something unequalled,” Scaloni said, as quoted by ESPN.

The Argentina manager acknowledged that while the team would continue without their captain, his presence on the pitch had been unlike anything he had witnessed before.

“We have to keep playing, but the feeling of having him on the pitch is unique. I’ve never seen anyone else convey what he does on a football field, and that is what we’re going to miss,” he said.

Scaloni also praised Messi’s professionalism and influence on his teammates, describing him as an example for the younger players.

“Only nostalgia remains now that he won’t be there. He is an incredible example. The first to arrive, the last to leave, how he takes care of himself, how he faces each game,” he added.

According to Scaloni, Messi’s greatness extends beyond his performances on the pitch, with his work ethic and attitude serving as an example to those around him.

“You can see he is a phenomenon just by how he plays, but he has things behind him that his teammates see, and he is the best example there can be. He has left, or is leaving, because he has one more game, something incomparable.”

Messi is expected to leave international football as Argentina’s most-capped player and all-time leading goalscorer, having registered 125 goals in 207 appearances.

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner will continue his club career with Inter Miami, where he is contracted until the end of the 2028 season.

Nigerian skit maker Kevin Arua, popularly known as Kevinblak, has vowed not to allow threats to stop him from using his content to criticise bad governance.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Kevinblak made the disclosure during an interview on Channels Television’s programme, Rubbin’ Mind, where he revealed that he had received numerous threats over his satirical political content featuring his popular character, “Governor Amuneke.”

The comedian recalled receiving a message from an individual who threatened to come after him at his residence.

According to Kevinblak, he was not surprised by the threats because he understood the possible consequences before venturing into political satire.

“I have gotten countless threats because of my contents criticising bad governance. Well, it’s a journey I knew the implication before I started, so what’s going to happen should happen,” he said.

He added, “I once received a message from someone, saying he knows my house and they would come after me.”

Meanwhile, Nigerian content creator and Nollywood actress Bukunmi Adeaga Ilori, popularly known as Kiekie, has ruled out collaborations with some entertainers whose content she considers excessively vulgar or indecent.

Kiekie made her position known during a recent podcast interview, where she said she would not collaborate with skit makers whose content does not align with her brand.

“I would never collaborate with any skit maker that is too vulgar. I will not be able to collaborate with them,” she said.