A forensic investigator told a Kaduna court that recordings allegedly captured discussions about payments to anti-graft officials and intermediaries; the allegations remain subject to judicial determination.
A forensic investigator with the Department of State Services (DSS), Segun Kayode, has told a Kaduna State High Court that former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and some of his associates allegedly earmarked $600,000 for officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and intermediaries.
Kayode made the allegation while testifying as a prosecution witness in the ongoing legal proceedings involving the former governor.
According to the witness, the alleged sum comprised $500,000 and an additional $100,000 intended for the proposed payments.
He also told the court that forensic audio recordings captured conversations involving El-Rufai and some of his associates, which the prosecution is relying on as part of its evidence.
The testimony formed part of the proceedings before the Kaduna State High Court sitting in Kawo, presided over by Justice Darius Khobo.
The allegations have not been established as facts by a final court judgment, and the evidence remains subject to the legal process, including the defence’s opportunity to challenge the prosecution’s case.
Defence challenges the handling of the witness’s evidence
During the proceedings, El-Rufai’s lead counsel, Paul Erokoro, SAN, objected to aspects of the witness’s testimony, arguing that Kayode’s name and summary of evidence had not been included in the prosecution’s proof of evidence.
The defence maintained that the omission raised concerns about its ability to prepare adequately for the case and respond to the evidence being presented.
Counsel for the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Ayodeji Adedipe, SAN, argued that the witness had been subpoenaed and that the omission did not automatically make his testimony inadmissible.
The prosecution also maintained that the defence would have an opportunity to cross-examine the witness.
In its ruling on the procedural dispute, the court acknowledged that the witness’s name and summary of evidence were absent from the proof of evidence but held that the omission did not automatically render his testimony inadmissible, provided the defence was allowed to cross-examine him.
After Kayode submitted a hard copy of his findings to the court clerk, the defence raised a further objection concerning access to the document. The judge ruled that the defence could obtain a certified true copy of the document admitted as an exhibit for examination.
Case adjourned as proceedings continue
The hearing followed other legal developments involving the former governor, including a reported Court of Appeal decision upholding the refusal of bail in related proceedings.
El-Rufai has faced allegations of financial misconduct linked to his administration of Kaduna State between 2015 and 2023. Those allegations must be assessed through the relevant legal proceedings and should not be conflated with proof of guilt.
The latest testimony places the alleged payments at the centre of the prosecution’s account, but the evidentiary significance of the recordings, the witness’s findings and any responses from the defence will be matters for the court to consider.
The case was adjourned until November 30 and December 1, 2026, for the continuation of cross-examination.
As proceedings continue, the central questions will include the admissibility and reliability of the evidence, the interpretation of the alleged recordings and whether the prosecution can establish its claims to the standard required by law.