A forensic investigator with the State Security Service (SSS) has told a Kaduna State High Court that former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai allegedly planned to offer $600,000 in bribes to officials and intermediaries to frustrate an investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The allegation was presented on Tuesday by Segun Kayode, the first prosecution witness in Mr El-Rufai’s ongoing trial before Justice Darius Khobo of the Kaduna State High Court in Kawo.
According to the witness, $500,000 and an additional $100,000 were allegedly earmarked for the proposed payments. He said forensic audio recordings captured conversations between Mr El-Rufai and some individuals suspected of being involved in the plan.
The alleged discussions centred on efforts to obstruct an EFCC investigation into a company identified as Singularity.
Mr Kayode told the court that the recordings mentioned a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), another individual whose identity was not disclosed, and Bashir El-Rufai, the former governor’s son.
He further alleged that the senior lawyer and the other associate were instructed to obtain a template from an individual named Ahmadu Sule. The template had reportedly been used previously to liquidate another company and was allegedly intended for use in the case involving Singularity.
The witness also claimed that the recordings contained discussions about liquidating the company in Nigeria and Mauritius. The firm was reportedly under investigation by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) in Mauritius-related matters.
According to his testimony, the recordings also contained discussions about preventing the EFCC from investigating another company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The identity of the company was not disclosed in the report.
The allegations form part of the prosecution’s evidence and have not been established by the court.
DEFENCE CHALLENGES WITNESS’S TESTIMONY
The proceedings lasted nearly eight hours, with approximately two hours devoted to playing the recorded audio evidence.
At the beginning of the hearing, Mr El-Rufai’s lead defence counsel, Paul Erokoro, SAN, objected to Mr Kayode’s testimony. He argued that the witness’s name and a summary of his proposed evidence were missing from the prosecution’s proof of evidence.
Mr Erokoro maintained that the omission could undermine his client’s right to a fair hearing, arguing that the defence should have received adequate notice of the evidence it was expected to address.
However, the lead counsel for the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Ayodeji Adedipe, SAN, countered that Mr Kayode had been summoned by the court to testify. He argued that this meant the omission did not automatically make the testimony inadmissible.
Mr Adedipe cited judicial precedents and informed the court that the subpoena had been issued and signed on 30 June 2026. He also argued that the defence would have an opportunity to cross-examine the witness.
In response, Mr Erokoro said his objection concerned the adequacy of the notice given to the defence. He relied on Section 210 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2017, arguing that the prosecution was required to serve the subpoena on the defence.
COURT ALLOWS TESTIMONY TO PROCEED
In his ruling, Justice Khobo acknowledged that the witness’s name and summary of evidence were absent from the proof of evidence. However, he noted that the court records confirmed that Mr Kayode had been subpoenaed.
The judge ruled that the omission did not automatically invalidate the testimony, provided the defence was allowed to cross-examine the witness.
The court subsequently admitted Mr Kayode’s written findings as Exhibit 1.
The defence raised further concerns about the timing of service of the document. Justice Khobo ruled that the defence could obtain a Certified True Copy (CTC) for a more detailed examination.
Following agreement between the prosecution and defence teams, the court adjourned the case until 30 November and 1 December 2026 for the continuation of cross-examination.
EL-RUFAI APPEARS UNDER HEAVY SECURITY
Mr El-Rufai arrived at the court at approximately 11:50 a.m., ahead of the scheduled noon hearing, under heavy security. He was accompanied by Isah Ashiru, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Kaduna State.
His appearance followed an order by Justice Khobo directing the ICPC to produce him in court.
The hearing came days after the Court of Appeal in Kaduna dismissed his appeal against the High Court’s refusal to grant him bail. In its judgment delivered on 9 October, the appellate court upheld the lower court’s decision, ruling that the former governor had not established sufficient grounds for its intervention.
BACKGROUND TO EL-RUFAI’S PROSECUTION
The ICPC’s prosecution of Mr El-Rufai stems largely from recommendations contained in a 2024 Kaduna State House of Assembly investigative report. The report accused his administration, which governed the state from 2015 to 2023, of mismanaging public funds.
The anti-corruption agency has filed multiple charges against the former governor in federal and state courts. One of the cases concerns allegations that he unlawfully intercepted the telephone communications of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
Mr El-Rufai has pleaded not guilty to all the charges and maintains that his prosecution is politically motivated.
He remains in ICPC custody under court-authorised remand orders while his legal team challenges his continued detention. According to the report, he has been in the agency’s custody since 18 February.
The latest allegations concerning the purported $600,000 bribe will be subject to the judicial process as the case continues.
