By Abu Adamu
A Department of State Services forensic investigator has told a Kaduna State High Court that former Governor Nasir El-Rufai and some associates allegedly earmarked $600,000 to pay Economic and Financial Crimes Commission officials and an intermediary to frustrate an investigation.
Segun Kayode, the first prosecution witness, alleged that $500,000 was set aside for EFCC officials and another $100,000 for an intermediary, citing forensic audio recordings he said captured conversations involving El-Rufai and some associates.
Testifying before Justice Darius Khobo at the Kaduna State High Court in Kawo on Tuesday, Kayode said the conversations centred on alleged efforts to frustrate an EFCC investigation into a company identified as Singularity.
Kayode told the court that a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, another individual and Bashir El-Rufai were among those mentioned in the recorded conversations.
He alleged that two of the individuals were directed to meet one Ahmadu Sule to obtain a template previously used to liquidate another company, with the intention of applying a similar process to Singularity.
The DSS investigator further alleged that the discussions included plans to liquidate the company in Nigeria and Mauritius, where it was reportedly under investigation by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit.
He also told the court that the recordings contained discussions about preventing the EFCC from investigating another company said to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Tuesday’s hearing lasted nearly eight hours, from 12:26 p.m. to 8:18 p.m., with about two hours devoted to playing the recorded conversations in court.
Lead defence counsel Paul Erokoro, SAN, however, objected to Kayode’s testimony, arguing that the witness’s name and summary of evidence were not included in the prosecution’s proof of evidence.
Erokoro said the omission denied the defence adequate notice of the evidence it was expected to answer and raised fair-hearing concerns.
ICPC counsel Ayodeji Adedipe, SAN, countered that Kayode was a subpoenaed witness and that his absence from the proof of evidence did not make his testimony inadmissible.
He said the court issued and signed the subpoena on 30 June 2026, adding that El-Rufai’s lawyers would have an opportunity to cross-examine the witness.
Erokoro maintained that the issue was not Kayode’s right to testify but whether the defence had been adequately informed and given sufficient opportunity to prepare.
Justice Khobo acknowledged that Kayode’s name and summary of evidence were absent from the proof of evidence but held that court records showed he had been subpoenaed.
The judge ruled that the omission did not automatically make his evidence inadmissible as long as the defence was allowed to cross-examine him.
Another disagreement followed when Kayode submitted a hard copy of his forensic findings.
The defence complained that the document should have been served earlier to allow its lawyers to study the material before confronting the witness.
The court admitted the document as Exhibit One and ruled that the defence could obtain a certified true copy for examination.
Justice Khobo subsequently adjourned proceedings until 30 November and 1 December for continuation of cross-examination.
El-Rufai arrived at the court at about 11:50 a.m. amid tight security and was accompanied by Kaduna State ADC governorship candidate Isah Ashiru.
His appearance followed an order directing the ICPC to produce him for the resumed trial.
The proceedings came days after the Court of Appeal in Kaduna dismissed El-Rufai’s challenge to the High Court’s refusal to grant him bail.
The appellate court on October 9 upheld the lower court’s decision, ruling that the former governor had not established sufficient grounds for interference with the bail ruling.
El-Rufai has been in ICPC custody since February 18, 2026, over allegations of financial misconduct connected with his administration of Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023.
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