El-Rufai Allegedly Earmarked $600,000 To Pay EFCC Officials, Intermediaries, DSS Witness Tells Court
A forensic investigator with the Department of State Services (DSS),AND Segun Kayode, on Tuesday 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.
Kayode, the first prosecution witness in the ongoing trial, made the allegation while testifying before the Kaduna State High Court in Kawo, Kaduna, presided over by Justice Darius Khobo.
According to the witness, $500,000 and another $100,000 were allegedly set aside for the proposed payments.
He further told the court that forensic audio recordings captured conversations involving El-Rufai and some of his suspected associates.
Kayode said the conversations centred on alleged attempts to frustrate an EFCC investigation into a company identified as Singularity.
He claimed that a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), another individual and Bashir El-Rufai were among those mentioned in the recorded conversations.
The investigator alleged that the SAN and the other individual were instructed to meet one Ahmadu Sule to obtain a template previously used to liquidate another company. The template was allegedly intended to facilitate a similar process for Singularity.
Kayode further claimed 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 (NFIU).
He also alleged that the recordings contained conversations about preventing the EFCC from investigating a company he described as listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Defence Challenges Witness's Testimony
Proceedings lasted nearly eight hours, from 12:26 p.m. to 8:18 p.m., with approximately two hours spent playing the recorded conversations.
Earlier in the hearing, 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.
Erokoro maintained that the omission infringed on his client's right to a fair hearing, stressing that the defence was entitled to know the evidence it would be required to respond to.
However, counsel for the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN), argued that Kayode was a subpoenaed witness and that his omission from the proof of evidence did not automatically make his testimony inadmissible.
Adedipe told the court that the subpoena was issued and signed by the court on June 30, 2026, adding that the defence would have the opportunity to cross-examine the witness.
He also cited judicial authorities to support his position.
In his response, Erokoro insisted that the issue was not whether Kayode could testify but whether the defence had been adequately informed to prepare for the evidence.
He relied on Section 210 of the applicable Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2017, arguing that the prosecution ought to have served the subpoena on the defence.
Court Rules on Admissibility of Evidence
In its ruling, the court acknowledged that Kayode's name and summary of evidence were missing from the proof of evidence but noted that the records indicated that he had been subpoenaed.
Justice Khobo ruled that the omission did not automatically render the witness's testimony inadmissible, provided the defence was given the opportunity to cross-examine him.
After Kayode submitted a hard copy of his findings to the court clerk, the defence objected, arguing that the document should have been provided earlier to allow sufficient time to examine its contents.
The judge ruled that the defence could obtain a certified true copy of the document admitted as Exhibit One for review.
Following agreement between the prosecution and defence, the court adjourned the case until November 30 and December 1, 2026, for the continuation of cross-examination.
El-Rufai Arrives Under Tight Security
El-Rufai arrived at the court premises at about 11:50 a.m., ahead of the scheduled noon hearing, amid tight security.
He was accompanied by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Kaduna State, Isah Ashiru.
His appearance followed an order by Justice Khobo directing the ICPC to produce him in court for the resumed proceedings.
The hearing came days after the Court of Appeal in Kaduna dismissed El-Rufai's appeal challenging the state high court's refusal to grant him bail.
In a judgment delivered on October 9, the appellate court upheld the lower court's decision, ruling that the former governor had failed to establish sufficient grounds to justify interfering with the refusal of bail.
El-Rufai has been in ICPC custody since February 18, 2026, over allegations of financial misconduct relating to his administration of Kaduna State between 2015 and 2023.
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