Banner Online News

By Our Reporter with reports by whirlwindnews

A Department of State Services (DSS) investigator has told the Federal High Court in Kaduna that former Governor Nasir el-Rufai allegedly discussed setting aside $600,000 to compromise officials investigating alleged financial misconduct involving his administration.

The witness, Segun Kayode, a forensic investigator with the DSS, made the allegation on Tuesday while testifying before Justice Darius Khobo in the ongoing trial involving the former governor.

Kayode, the first prosecution witness, alleged that $500,000 and another $100,000 were earmarked for payments to officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and intermediaries.

He said forensic audio recordings captured conversations allegedly involving el-Rufai, a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, and some associates concerning efforts to frustrate an EFCC investigation into a company identified as Singularity.

According to the witness, the discussions allegedly involved a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Bashir el-Rufai, the former governor’s son.

Kayode told the court that the individuals were allegedly directed to meet one Ahmadu Sule to obtain a template previously used to liquidate another company, with the intention of applying a similar process to Singularity.

He further alleged that the conversations included plans to liquidate the company in Nigeria and Mauritius, where it was reportedly under investigation by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit.

The DSS investigator also claimed that the recordings contained discussions about preventing the EFCC from investigating IHS, which he said was listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

The allegations formed part of the prosecution’s evidence against the former governor. They have yet to be established by the court, and el-Rufai is entitled to the presumption of innocence.

Defence Challenges Witness’s Testimony

Earlier, 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 undermined his client’s right to a fair hearing, insisting that the defence was entitled to know the evidence it would be required to answer.

However, counsel to the 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.

The court 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 hearing 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 judgment delivered on October 9, the appellate court upheld the lower court’s decision, ruling that the former governor had not established sufficient grounds to warrant interference with the denial of bail.

El-Rufai has been in ICPC custody since February 18, 2026, over allegations of financial misconduct linked to his administration of Kaduna State between 2015 and 2023.

The former governor is also facing proceedings at the Kaduna State High Court over separate allegations. The cases remain subject to determination by the courts.