Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai is facing fresh allegations over an alleged plan to set aside $600,000 for officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and intermediaries to frustrate investigations into companies linked to the case against him.
The allegation was made by Segun Kayode, a forensic investigator with the State Security Service (SSS), who testified as the first prosecution witness before the Kaduna State High Court sitting in Kawo, Kaduna, on Tuesday.
Kayode told the court, presided over by Justice Darius Khobo, that forensic audio recordings captured conversations allegedly involving El-Rufai and some of his associates.
According to the witness, the discussions centred on efforts to obstruct an EFCC investigation into a company identified as Singularity.
He alleged that $500,000 and another $100,000 had been earmarked for payments connected to the alleged plan.
The witness also mentioned Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) AU Mustapha, Jimi Lawal and Bashir El-Rufai among the individuals allegedly referred to in the recordings.
According to Kayode, Mustapha and Lawal were allegedly instructed to meet a person identified as Ahmadu Sule to obtain a template previously used in the liquidation of another company.
The prosecution witness claimed that the template was intended to facilitate a similar process involving Singularity.
He further alleged that the discussions covered plans to liquidate the company in both Nigeria and Mauritius.
The company was reportedly under investigation by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, according to the testimony presented in court.
Kayode also told the court that the recordings contained conversations about efforts to prevent 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 in the ongoing proceedings involving the former governor.
However, the claims remain allegations presented in court and have not been established as facts by a final judicial decision.
The hearing lasted almost eight hours, beginning at about 12:26 pm and ending at 8:18 pm.
Approximately two hours were spent playing the recorded conversations before the court.
The testimony was preceded by a legal disagreement between the prosecution and the defence over whether Kayode should be allowed to testify.
El-Rufai’s lead counsel, Paul Erokoro (SAN), objected to the witness’s appearance, arguing that his name and a summary of his expected evidence were missing from the prosecution’s proof of evidence.
Erokoro maintained that the omission affected his client’s right to a fair hearing because the defence had not been adequately informed about the evidence it was expected to challenge.
He argued that the defence needed sufficient notice to prepare its response to the forensic investigator’s testimony.
Counsel to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN), disagreed with the objection. He told the court that Kayode had been summoned through a subpoena issued and signed on June 30, 2026.
Adedipe argued that the absence of the witness’s details from the proof of evidence did not automatically prevent him from testifying.
He also maintained that the defence would have the opportunity to question the witness during cross-examination.
The prosecution counsel relied on judicial authorities to support his position.
However, Erokoro insisted that the central issue was whether his client had received adequate notice to prepare for the testimony.
He cited Section 210 of the applicable Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2017, arguing that the prosecution should have served the subpoena on the defence.
Justice Khobo subsequently ruled on the objection, acknowledging that Kayode’s name and summary of evidence were not included in the proof of evidence.
The judge, however, noted that the court records confirmed that the witness had been subpoenaed.
The court held that the omission did not automatically render the testimony inadmissible, provided the defence was given the opportunity to cross-examine the witness.
Justice Khobo therefore overruled the objection and allowed Kayode to proceed with his evidence.
A further disagreement arose after the investigator submitted a hard copy of his findings to the court clerk.
The defence complained that the document had not been served earlier, arguing that it needed time to study its contents before questioning the witness.
The judge directed the defence to obtain a certified true copy of the document admitted as Exhibit One for examination.
Following discussions between both parties, the court adjourned the case until November 30 and December 1, 2026, for the continuation of cross-examination.
El-Rufai arrived at the court premises at about 11:50 am on Tuesday, ahead of the scheduled hearing, under tight security.
He was accompanied by Isa 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 for the resumed proceedings.
The previous sitting had been adjourned after the former governor was absent, with the court informed that he had requested access to his personal physician to review medical test results.
The latest hearing also came days after the Court of Appeal in Kaduna dismissed El-Rufai’s appeal challenging the refusal of bail by the state high court.
In its October 9 judgment, the appellate court upheld the lower court’s decision, holding that he had not established sufficient grounds for intervention.
El-Rufai has remained in ICPC custody since February 18, 2026, over allegations of financial misconduct connected to his administration of Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023.
The Kaduna State House of Assembly had earlier petitioned the anti-corruption agency over the alleged diversion and mismanagement of more than N423 billion in public funds during his eight-year tenure.
The former governor is also facing other legal proceedings involving allegations of money laundering, abuse of office, fraud and related financial offences.
He has denied wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
In a related development, the Federal High Court in Abuja recently dismissed a separate suit filed by El-Rufai seeking to restrain the ICPC and other agencies from freezing his bank accounts or seizing his assets.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik dismissed the action on October 8, holding that it constituted an abuse of court process because similar proceedings had been instituted elsewhere.
The ruling was separate from the ongoing trial in Kaduna.