El-Rufai, Associates Allegedly Set Aside $600,000 to Compromise EFCC Probe, DSS Witness Tells Court
A forensic investigator with the Department of State Services (DSS), Segun Kayode, has told a Kaduna State High Court that former governor Nasir El-Rufai and some of his associates allegedly earmarked $600,000 to compromise an investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Kayode, the first prosecution witness in the ongoing trial, made the allegation on Tuesday before Justice Darius Khobo at the Kaduna State High Court sitting in Kawo.
The witness alleged that $500,000 and $100,000 were separately set aside for payments to EFCC officials and intermediaries as part of efforts to frustrate the commission’s investigation into a company identified as Singularity.
According to him, forensic audio recordings captured conversations involving El-Rufai and some individuals suspected to be his associates.
Kayode told the court that a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), another individual and Bashir El-Rufai were allegedly mentioned in the recordings.
He further alleged that the SAN and the other individual were instructed to meet one Ahmadu Sule to obtain a template previously used to liquidate another company, which they allegedly intended to apply to Singularity.
The investigator also claimed that the conversations contained discussions about plans to liquidate the company in Nigeria and Mauritius, where it was reportedly under investigation by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit.
He added that the recordings included discussions about preventing the EFCC from investigating a company he said was listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
The allegations were presented as part of the prosecution’s evidence against the former governor and have yet to be proven in court.
Proceedings lasted nearly eight hours, from 12:26 p.m. to 8:18 p.m., with approximately two hours spent playing the recorded conversations before the court.
Following the submission of a hard copy of his findings to the court clerk, the defence team objected, arguing that the document should have been served earlier to enable them to examine its contents and prepare their response.
Justice Khobo ruled that the defence could obtain a certified true copy of the document admitted as Exhibit One for examination.
The court subsequently adjourned the case until November 30 and December 1, 2026, for the continuation of cross-examination, following an agreement between the prosecution and defence.
BACKGROUND
El-Rufai is facing multiple legal proceedings over allegations bordering on financial crimes, abuse of office and the conversion of public property.
On April 13, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) arraigned the former governor before the Kaduna State High Court on an amended nine-count charge bordering on alleged fraud and abuse of office.
He has been in ICPC custody since February 19, following his release from the custody of the EFCC.
Separately, the DSS is prosecuting El-Rufai before the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations relating to the unlawful interception of telephone communications.
In May, the Federal High Court in Abuja granted him bail in the case involving an alleged breach of the privacy of a telephone conversation involving National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu. The presiding judge, Joyce Abdulmalik, granted bail in the sum of ₦100 million with one surety in the same amount.
In July, members of El-Rufai’s family expressed concerns over the bail conditions imposed on him, describing them as not viable.
The allegations against El-Rufai remain allegations, and the court is yet to determine the cases against him.
