Court Rejects El-Rufai’s No-Case Submission In Ribadu Phone Tapping Trial

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday dismissed former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s no-case submission in his trial over the alleged illegal interception of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu’s phone communications.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik rejected the appliance after ruling that the Department of State Services (DSS) had introduced ample proof to require the previous governor to enter his defence.

The choose subsequently ordered El-Rufai, the only defendant within the case, to open his defence if he so needs.

El-Rufai filed the no-case submission by way of his counsel, Akinyemi Aremu, after the DSS closed its case with the testimony of two witnesses.

Aremu had urged the courtroom to discharge his consumer, arguing that the prosecution failed to determine a case requiring the previous governor to defend himself.

However, DSS counsel Oluwole Aladedoye, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, opposed the appliance, insisting that the prosecution had established a prima facie case towards El-Rufai.

Aladedoye particularly drew the courtroom’s consideration to Exhibit B, which the prosecution stated contained an alleged admission by El-Rufai in regards to the interception of Ribadu’s phone communications.

The prosecution lawyer argued that the defence had failed to handle the exhibit and maintained that the proof earlier than the courtroom warranted an order directing the previous governor to enter his defence.

In dismissing the appliance, Justice Abdulmalik held that the proof introduced by the DSS was ample to require El-Rufai to answer the allegations.