El-Rufai Trial: DSS Investigator Alleges $600,000 Plan to Frustrate EFCC Probe

A forensic investigator with the Department of State Services (DSS), Segun Kayode, has told a Kaduna State High Court that former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and some of his associates allegedly 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 on Tuesday while testifying before Justice Darius Khobo at the Kaduna State High Court sitting in Kawo, Kaduna.

The investigator told the court that the alleged sum was divided into two amounts of $500,000 and $100,000, adding that forensic audio recordings captured conversations involving El-Rufai and some of his suspected associates.

According to his testimony, the conversations allegedly centred on efforts to frustrate an EFCC investigation into a company identified as Singularity.

Kayode named Senior Advocate of Nigeria A.U. Mustapha, Jimi Lawal and Bashir El-Rufai among those allegedly mentioned in the recorded conversations.

He further alleged that Mustapha and Lawal were directed to meet an individual identified as Ahmadu Sule to obtain a template previously used to liquidate another company, with the intention of applying a similar process to Singularity.

The witness also 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 told the court that the recordings contained further discussions about preventing the EFCC from investigating IHS, which he described as a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

The allegations formed part of the prosecution’s evidence and have yet to be established by the court.

The proceedings lasted nearly eight hours, from 12:26 p.m. to 8:18 p.m., with approximately two hours devoted to playing the recorded conversations.

The testimony also triggered a legal dispute over the prosecution’s handling of its evidence. El-Rufai’s lead counsel, Paul Erokoro (SAN), objected to Kayode’s appearance, arguing that the investigator’s name and summary of evidence were not included in the prosecution’s proof of evidence.

Erokoro maintained that the omission affected his client’s right to a fair hearing, arguing that the defence needed adequate notice of the evidence it was expected to answer.

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 make his testimony inadmissible.

Adedipe said 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.

Justice Khobo acknowledged that the investigator’s name and summary of evidence were absent from the proof of evidence but ruled that the omission did not automatically prevent him from testifying, provided the defence was allowed to cross-examine him.

When Kayode submitted a hard copy of his findings, the defence again complained that the document had not been served early enough for examination. The judge directed the defence to obtain a certified true copy of the document admitted as Exhibit One.

The court adjourned the case until November 30 and December 1, 2026, for continuation of cross-examination.

El-Rufai is facing allegations of financial misconduct linked to his administration of Kaduna State between 2015 and 2023. The Kaduna State House of Assembly had petitioned the ICPC over alleged diversion and mismanagement of more than ₦423bn in public funds during his eight-year tenure.

The former governor has denied wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to the charges. The allegations remain subject to judicial determination.

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