A prosecution witness has alleged that former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai set aside $600,000 to influence anti-graft officials probing his administration’s alleged financial misconduct during his eight-year tenure.
Segun Kayode, a forensic investigator with the State Security Service and the prosecution’s first witness made the allegation Tuesday testifying before Justice Darius Khobo of the Kaduna State High Court in Kawo.
He said $500,000 was designated for officials of the anti-graft agency, while another $100,000 was intended for an intermediary.
Kayode said forensic audio recordings captured discussions involving El-Rufai and several suspected associates about efforts to frustrate an EFCC investigation into a company identified as Singularity.
The allegations are part of the prosecution’s evidence and have not been established by the court.
The hearing lasted more than seven hours, including roughly two hours devoted to playback of recorded calls between El-Rufai and his suspected associates.
The court adjourned cross-examination until November 30 and December 1, 2026.
According to Kayode, the recordings included conversations involving AU Mustapha SAN, Jimi Lawal and Bashir El-Rufai concerning strategies to impede the EFCC’s inquiry.
He said the participants discussed obtaining a template previously used to liquidate another company from one Ahmadu Sule, with the aim of applying a similar approach to Singularity.
The witness further alleged that the discussions covered plans to liquidate Singularity in both Nigeria and Mauritius, where the company was reportedly under scrutiny by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
He also said those involved discussed preventing the EFCC from investigating IHS, a company he said was listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Kayode said the systems used in the forensic examination were protected.
The prosecution submitted a hard copy of his findings to the court clerk as an exhibit.
Before the testimony, El-Rufai’s lead counsel, Paul Erokoro, SAN objected to Kayode appearing as a witness because his name and an outline of his expected evidence were absent from the prosecution’s proof of evidence.
Erokoro argued that the omission infringed on the defense’s right to a fair hearing and its ability to prepare for cross-examination.
Counsel for the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Ayodeji Adedipe, also a senior advocate, countered that Kayode was a subpoenaed witness and that the omission did not make his testimony inadmissible.
He said the court issued and signed the subpoena on June 30, 2026, and that the defense would still be able to cross-examine him.
Justice Khobo agreed that the witness and a summary of his evidence were missing from the prosecution’s list and proof of evidence.
However, the judge ruled that because Kayode was subpoenaed by the court, his absence from those documents did not automatically disqualify his testimony, provided the defense could cross-examine him.
The court overruled the objection and allowed the witness to continue.
It also directed the defense to obtain a certified true copy of the forensic report admitted as Exhibit 1 for review, rejecting an argument that the defense should have received the document earlier.
El-Rufai, who governed Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023, is facing corruption, financial-fraud, abuse-of-office and money-laundering charges filed by the ICPC.
He has been in the commission’s custody since February 2026.
The case stems from a petition by the Kaduna State House of Assembly alleging the diversion and mismanagement of more than 423 billion naira in public funds during his eight-year administration.
El-Rufai has challenged the allegations in court, and no finding of liability has been made against him in the current trial.
The testimony adds a new layer to a case that has already drawn intense political attention in the nation where anti-corruption prosecutions of former senior officials often unfold over years and hinge heavily on documentary and digital evidence.
The defense is expected to begin cross-examining Kayode when proceedings resume next month.
