How El-Rufai Set Aside $600,000 To Bribe EFCC Officials – Forensic Investigator

Testifying in the ongoing corruption trial of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, a State Security Service (SSS) forensic investigator alleged that $600,000 was earmarked to bribe officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to derail investigations into related corporate entities.

The trial proceedings before Justice Darius Khobo at the Kaduna State High Court in Kawo spanned eight hours on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, running from 12:26 p.m. to 8:18 p.m. The session featured roughly two hours of audio playbacks featuring recorded telephone conversations between the former governor and his associates.

Taking the stand as the first prosecution witness (PW1), investigator Segun Kayode stated that $500,000 and $100,000 were specifically budgeted for the pay-offs, with audio intercepts capturing discussions on how to execute the plan.

Kayode testified that the intercepted calls involved prominent figures such as AU Mustapha (SAN), Jimi Lawal, and Bashir El-Rufai, who allegedly conspired to block an active EFCC probe into a firm known as Singularity.

According to the witness, Mustapha and Lawal were instructed to contact Ahmadu Sule to acquire a corporate liquidation template previously used for another entity, intending to replicate the process for Singularity.

The discussions reportedly included strategies to wind down Singularity across both Nigeria and Mauritius—where the company was already facing separate scrutiny by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU)—while also seeking to shield IHS, a New York Stock Exchange-listed firm, from anti-graft inquiries.

Prior to the substantive testimony, defence counsel Paul Erokoro (SAN) challenged the witness’s appearance, arguing that PW1’s identity and evidence summary were omitted from the prosecution’s initial proof of evidence, thereby violating his client’s right to a fair hearing.

Countering the objection, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) counsel Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN) maintained that PW1 was a court-subpoenaed witness—authorized via a court-signed subpoena issued on June 30, 2026—meaning such an omission did not render the testimony inadmissible.

Ruling on the preliminary objection, Justice Khobo dismissed the defence’s argument, holding that subpoenaed witnesses are legally exempt from pre-trial proof of evidence inclusions, provided the defence retains full rights to cross-examine.

The court subsequently directed that defence counsel be granted access to Certified True Copies (CTC) of Exhibit 1, the hardcopy forensic report submitted during the proceedings.

Justice Khobo adjourned the trial to November 30 and December 1, 2026, for the continuation of cross-examination. The case stems from an initial petition by the Kaduna State House Assembly regarding the alleged mismanagement of over ₦423 billion during El-Rufai’s administration.