A forensic investigator with the Department of State Services (DSS) has alleged that former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and some of his associates earmarked $600,000 to pay officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and intermediaries to frustrate an investigation.
The allegation was made on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, by Segun Kayode, the first prosecution witness in El-Rufai’s ongoing trial before the Kaduna State High Court sitting in Kawo.
Kayode told the court, presided over by Justice Darius Khobo, that forensic audio recordings captured conversations in which $500,000 and an additional $100,000 were allegedly set aside for the proposed payments.
According to the witness, the conversations centred on alleged efforts to frustrate an EFCC investigation into a company identified as Singularity. He said the recordings mentioned a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, AU Mustapha; Jimi Lawal; and Bashir El-Rufai.
The investigator further alleged that Mustapha and Lawal 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.
He also told the court that the discussions allegedly involved plans to liquidate the company in Nigeria and Mauritius, where it was reportedly under investigation by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit. The recordings allegedly contained further discussions about preventing an EFCC investigation into IHS, which the witness described as a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
During the proceedings, El-Rufai’s lead counsel, Paul Erokoro (SAN), 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. He maintained that the omission affected his client’s right to a fair hearing and adequate preparation for the defence.
However, counsel for the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN), argued that Kayode had been subpoenaed by the court and that the omission did not automatically render his testimony inadmissible.
Justice Khobo acknowledged that the witness’s details were absent from the proof of evidence but ruled that the omission did not automatically invalidate his testimony, provided the defence was given the opportunity to cross-examine him.
The court also directed the defence to obtain a certified true copy of the witness’s findings, which were admitted as Exhibit One, after the defence complained that the document had not been provided early enough for examination.
Following the proceedings, the case was adjourned until November 30 and December 1, 2026, for the continuation of cross-examination.
The allegations form part of the prosecution’s evidence and have not been established by the court. El-Rufai has been in ICPC custody since February 2026 over allegations of financial misconduct relating to his administration of Kaduna State between 2015 and 2023.
