Nasir El-Rufai returned to the Kaduna State High Court on Tuesday, where a federal forensic analyst told Justice Darius Khobo that the former governor and his allies planned to pay $600,000 to stop an investigation.
Segun Kayode, a lead forensic analyst with the Department of State Services (DSS), gave the testimony.
He said the money was split into two parts.
According to the witness, $500,000 was meant for officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), while $100,000 was set aside for intermediaries.
El-Rufai, a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, has been in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) since February 2026.
He faces a nine-count charge of alleged fraud, abuse of office and money laundering linked to his time as Kaduna governor from 2015 to 2023.
Recordings Point to Plan Against Singularity
Kayode told the court that his team relied on audio recordings and call data records to trace the alleged scheme.
He said the conversations centred on a firm named Singularity.
In one recording, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), AU Mustapha, and Jimi Lawal were allegedly told to meet a man named Ahmadu Sule.
The purpose, according to the witness, was to obtain a template used to dissolve another company.
He said the plan was to apply the same process to Singularity before regulators could follow the money.
Kayode also alleged that the discussions covered plans to liquidate the company in Mauritius, where the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) was already investigating it.
He further alleged that the recordings mentioned efforts to shield IHS, a firm listed on the New York Stock Exchange, from scrutiny.
Defence Challenges Witness Evidence
El-Rufai's lead counsel, Paul Erokoro (SAN), objected to the testimony. He argued that Kayode’s name and summary of evidence were missing from the prosecution’s proof of evidence.
Erokoro said the omission breached his client’s right to a fair hearing.
Counsel for the ICPC, Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN), countered that Kayode was a subpoenaed witness.
He said the subpoena was signed by the court on June 30, 2026.
Justice Khobo ruled that the omission did not make the testimony inadmissible, as long as the defence could cross-examine the witness.
The court admitted Kayode’s investigative report as Exhibit One. The judge ordered that the defence be given a certified true copy for examination.
Case Adjourned as El-Rufai Remains in Custody
The hearing ran for nearly eight hours, from 12:26 pm to 8:18 pm. About two hours were spent playing the recorded conversations in open court.
The court adjourned the matter to November 30 and December 1, 2026, for cross-examination.
El-Rufai arrived at the court premises at about 11:50 am amid tight security. He was accompanied by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Kaduna State, Isa Ashiru.
His appearance followed an order by Justice Khobo directing the ICPC to produce him in court.
The previous sitting was adjourned on Monday after he was absent. The Court of Appeal in Kaduna dismissed his bail appeal on October 9, 2026.
The appellate court held that he had not shown sufficient grounds to disturb the lower court’s refusal of bail.
The allegations from the DSS witness remain subject to judicial scrutiny and have not been established by the court.
WhatsApp Channel
Telegram Channel
