The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed October 26 for a ruling on a no-case submission filed by former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai. El-Rufai is facing allegations of breaching national security by allegedly wiretapping phone conversations of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu. The Department of State Services (DSS) filed the case against El-Rufai after he allegedly admitted to intercepting Ribadu's phone conversations during a television interview.
El-Rufai's lawyer, Akinyemi Aremu, and the DSS' counsel, Oluwole Aladedoye, presented their arguments for and against the no-case submission. Aremu urged the court to hold that the prosecution had failed to establish a case requiring El-Rufai to enter a defence. In response, Aladedoye adopted their counter affidavit in opposition to the no-case submission, arguing that the defence failed to address Exhibit "B", which contains El-Rufai's alleged admission.
The DSS had called two witnesses to establish their case against El-Rufai. An operative of the service and a legal practitioner, Deji Adeyanju, testified in court. Adeyanju told the court that El-Rufai allegedly admitted on national television that he wiretapped Ribadu's phone lines. After the prosecution closed its case, El-Rufai opted for a no-case submission.
The case began after El-Rufai claimed during a television interview that he intercepted a telephone conversation involving Ribadu. El-Rufai alleged that the conversation revealed instructions to security operatives to arrest him, linking it to an incident at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on February 12 after his return from Cairo, Egypt.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik fixed the October 26 date for the ruling after hearing arguments from both sides. The judge will determine whether the prosecution has established a prima facie case against El-Rufai, requiring him to enter a defence.
If the court rules in favour of the prosecution, El-Rufai will be required to enter his defence. The former governor's no-case submission is an application to the court to dismiss the charges against him, arguing that the prosecution has not presented sufficient evidence to warrant a trial.
The outcome of the case will have implications for El-Rufai's future and the country's approach to national security. The case has garnered significant attention due to its allegations of phone-tapping and breach of national security.
Key points
- The Federal High Court in Abuja will rule on El-Rufai's no-case submission on October 26.
- El-Rufai is facing allegations of breaching national security by allegedly wiretapping phone conversations of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
- The DSS called two witnesses to testify against El-Rufai, including a legal practitioner who claimed El-Rufai admitted to wiretapping Ribadu's phone lines.
