A forensic investigator with the Department of State Services (DSS), Segun Kayode, on Tuesday alleged that former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and some of his associates earmarked $600,000 to pay officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and intermediaries.

Kayode, the first prosecution witness in the ongoing trial, made the allegation while testifying before the Kaduna State High Court sitting in Kawo, Kaduna, presided over by Justice Darius Khobo.

The witness told the court that $500,000 and $100,000 were allegedly set aside for the payments. He added that forensic audio recordings captured conversations involving El-Rufai and some of his suspected associates.

According to Kayode, the recorded conversations centred on alleged efforts to frustrate an EFCC investigation into a company identified as Singularity.

He said a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, one other individual; and Bashir El-Rufai among those allegedly mentioned in the conversations.

The investigator told the court that the Senior Advocate and the other individual were allegedly directed to meet one Ahmadu Sule to obtain a template previously used to liquidate another company, with the intention of applying a similar process to Singularity.

Kayode further alleged that the discussions included plans to liquidate the company in Nigeria and Mauritius, where it was reportedly under investigation by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit.

He also alleged that the recordings contained discussions about preventing the EFCC from investigating a company, which he said was listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

The allegations formed part of the prosecution’s evidence against the former governor and have yet to be established by the court.

Proceedings lasted nearly eight hours, from 12:26 pm to 8:18 pm, with about two hours devoted to playing the recorded conversations.

Earlier, El-Rufai’s lead counsel, Paul Erokoro (SAN), objected to Kayode’s testimony, arguing that the witness’s name and summary of evidence were not included in the prosecution’s proof of evidence.

Erokoro argued that the omission undermined his client’s right to a fair hearing, insisting that the defence was entitled to know the evidence it was expected to answer.

However, counsel for the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN), told the court that Kayode was a subpoenaed witness and that the omission did not automatically render his testimony inadmissible.

Adedipe said the subpoena was issued and signed by the court on June 30, 2026, adding that the defence would have the opportunity to cross-examine the witness. He also cited judicial authorities in support of his argument.

In response, Erokoro maintained that the issue was not whether the witness could testify but whether the defence had been adequately informed to prepare for his evidence.

He relied on Section 210 of the applicable Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2017, arguing that the prosecution should have served the subpoena on the defence.

In its ruling, the court acknowledged that the witness’s name and summary of evidence were absent from the proof of evidence but held that the records showed he had been subpoenaed.

Justice Khobo ruled that the omission did not automatically make the testimony inadmissible, provided the defence was allowed to cross-examine the witness.

After Kayode submitted a hard copy of his findings to the court clerk, the defence complained that the document should have been served earlier to enable it to study its contents.

The judge, however, ruled that the defence could obtain a certified true copy of the document admitted as Exhibit One for examination.

The court adjourned the case until November 30 and December 1, 2026, for continuation of the cross-examination, following agreement by the prosecution and defence.

El-Rufai arrived at the court premises at about 11:50 am, ahead of the scheduled noon hearing, amid tight security. He was accompanied by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Kaduna State, Isah Ashiru.

His appearance followed an order by Justice Khobo directing the ICPC to produce him in court for the resumed proceedings.

The hearing resumed days after the Court of Appeal in Kaduna dismissed El-Rufai’s appeal challenging the refusal of bail by the state high court.

In its judgment delivered on October 9, the appellate court upheld the lower court’s decision, ruling that the former governor had failed to establish sufficient grounds to warrant interference with the refusal of bail.

El-Rufai has been in ICPC custody since February 18, 2026, over allegations of financial misconduct linked to his administration of Kaduna State between 2015 and 2023.

The Department of State Services (DSS) has rearraigned Samaila Kaigama before the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations of aiding Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), collecting ransom and providing financial support to terrorists.

Following his rearraignment on Tuesday, Justice Salim Ibrahim ordered that Kaigama be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja.

The defendant is facing seven counts bordering on alleged terrorism, failure to disclose information about terrorist activities, receipt of ransom suspected to be intended to finance terrorism, cybercrime, incitement to public disorder and money laundering.

According to the charges, Kaigama allegedly established unauthorised communication with members of Boko Haram and ISWAP and negotiated ransom payments in July 2026.

The prosecution also accused him of withholding information about the activities of the terrorist groups that could have assisted security agencies in investigating and prosecuting suspects.

In another count, the Federal Government alleged that Kaigama received ransom money from the family of a hostage despite having reasonable grounds to believe that the funds would be used to finance terrorism.

He was also accused of soliciting and mobilising financial contributions from families of hostages in support of ISWAP members.

The prosecution further alleged that Kaigama used WhatsApp, through a group identified as BOSYA, and Facebook to solicit ransom payments from victims’ families for onward transmission to terrorists.

According to the charge, the alleged transactions resulted in a loss of ₦1.8 million to the hostage’s family.

Kaigama was also accused of mobilising members of affected communities to protest against Senator Ali Ndume and the Borno State Government, an act the prosecution described as incitement to public disorder.

The final count alleges that he knowingly retained ₦1.8 million paid into his account by the hostage’s family, in violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

The charges were brought under various provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, the Cybercrimes Act and the Criminal Code Act.

The case was adjourned until November 13, 2026, for further proceedings.

Pope Leo XIV’s underwent an operation at a Rome hospital Tuesday to remove a nodule from his lung that was “successfully completed”, the Vatican said.

Pope Leo XIV entered the hospital smiling and waving on Tuesday morning hours before the surgery to remove the growth that looks like a coin on the lung.
“The procedure was successfully completed, within the expected time and in the planned manner,” the Vatican said in a brief statement.

“The Holy Father has returned to his room,” it said, adding that more details would be given later.

The surgery marks the 71-year-old Leo’s first hospitalisation since he became head of the Catholic Church on May 8, 2025. Vatican officials who saw the pope on Monday said he appeared relaxed about the hospital stay.

In a surprise announcement following Angelus prayers on Sunday, Leo told crowds in St Peter’s Square that doctors had discovered the nodule “at a very early stage” during medical checks.

“The doctors believe it would be right to intervene,” he said.

The Vatican has historically been very secretive about the health of popes, but began to be more transparent during the illness of Leo’s predecessor Francis, an Argentine who freely discussed his ailments.

People outside the hospital expressed concern over the pope’s condition.

Giorgia Fei, a 57-year-old Italian, said she had been worried by the news.

“However, the Holy Father is in very good hands here at the hospital because we have some outstanding doctors,” she said.

“I will pray a lot for him.”

Giuseppe Purpura, 72, said he was also concerned.

“He’s still quite young and I really wasn’t expecting this. I thought he was in better health,” he said, noting that “thankfully it was caught in time.”

The Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome, Cardinal Baldassare Reina, led a rosary prayer for the pope inside the hospital chapel which was broadcast by the Vatican. Dozens of people attended and Reina asked all the city’s parishes to join in.

Ahead of the surgery, the Vatican said the pope’s recovery time was expected to be about a week. His audiences have been cancelled until October 20.

The Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, told ANSA news agency that Leo had been “very calm” about his condition when they met on Monday.