DSS Expert Alleges El-Rufai Set Aside $600,000 To ‘Settle’ EFCC Officials, Intermediary To Frustrate Investigation

A digital forensic expert with the Department of State Services (DSS) has alleged that former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, set aside $600,000 to settle officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and an intermediary in a bid to frustrate investigations into companies linked to him.

The witness, Shegun Kayode, made the allegation on Tuesday while testifying before the Kaduna State High Court sitting at Kawo, presided over by Justice Darius Khobo.

According to Kayode, $500,000 and $100,000 were purportedly earmarked to settle EFCC officials and an intermediary, as revealed in forensic analysis of audio recordings and communication records allegedly linked to El-Rufai and his associates.

He told the court that the recordings contained conversations between El-Rufai and his associates including AU Mustapha (SAN), Jimi Lawal and Bashir El-Rufai, on plans to liquidate a company identified as Singularity in Nigeria and Mauritius, where it was reportedly under investigation by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).

The witness further alleged that the conversation also involved plans to halt an ongoing EFCC case against Singularity and to prevent the Commission from investigating another company, IHS, which he said is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

Kayode said the DSS conducted the forensic examination at the request of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and with approval from the Director-General of the DSS. He said specialised software revealed two-way communications involving El-Rufai, his brother and another person between October 25 and 28, 2025.

He said the examination involved analysing vocal characteristics, background noise and electromagnetic interference, and that results indicated the audio originated from a human voice in a natural environment rather than being artificially generated. He added that he also conducted biometric voice analysis using another forensic tool.

He said the DSS telecommunications intelligence unit provided the call data records through a secure server in line with the service’s procedures for preserving electronic evidence, and that his team made four duplicate copies of the original audio while preserving the original to protect its integrity.

The court proceedings lasted eight hours, from 12:26 p.m. to 8:18 p.m, including about two hours of audio playback of the recorded calls.

Kayode said he prepared a detailed forensic investigative report and submitted it to the court as evidence. However, Counsel to El-Rufai, Paul Erokoro (SAN), objected to the tendering of the document and to the testimony of the witness on the ground that his name and summary of evidence were not included in the prosecution’s proof of evidence, arguing that it violated the defendant’s right to fair hearing.

Counsel to the ICPC, Ayodele Adedipe (SAN), argued that the witness was a subpoenaed witness and that the omission of his name from the proof of evidence did not render his testimony inadmissible, noting that the subpoena was issued and signed by the court on 30 June 2026 and that the defence would have the opportunity to cross-examine him.

In his ruling, Justice Khobo confirmed that the witness was subpoenaed through a court order and overruled the objection, holding that the defence’s fair hearing concern could be addressed through cross-examination. He also overruled the objection to tendering the report and said the defence could obtain a certified true copy through the court’s registry.

The court subsequently adjourned the alleged fund misappropriation case until November 30 and December 1 for continuation of cross-examination.

The ICPC is prosecuting El-Rufai on nine counts bordering on alleged corruption and abuse of office during his tenure as governor. The Commission alleged that he induced the state government to release about N11 billion to an unregistered entity for a light rail project that was never executed, approved and received about N289.8 million as severance allowance far above the approximately N20 million he was legally entitled to, mismanaged more than $1.08 million from a World Bank loan, conspired with an associate said to be at large to offer inducements to federal investigators to compromise an investigation involving a private firm, and unlawfully awarded a N4.6 billion CCTV contract in Kaduna metropolis in violation of procurement laws.

El-Rufai has denied all allegations against him.