Wiretapping Trial: Court Dismisses El-Rufai’s No-Case Submission

. Orders Ex-Kaduna Gov to enter defence

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday rejected a no-case submission filed by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over the alleged illegal interception of phone conversations involving the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

NOP NIGERIA stories that in her ruling, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik held that the prosecution had adduced ample proof to warrant El-Rufai coming into his defence within the five-count amended cost filed in opposition to him by the Department of State Services.

The decide consequently ordered the previous governor to open his defence and adjourned the case till November 25, 2026, for him to take action.

El-Rufai had filed the no-case submission after the Federal Government closed its case following the testimony of two prosecution witnesses.

Through his counsel, Paul Erokoro, the previous governor urged the courtroom to discharge and acquit him, arguing that the prosecution had failed to determine a prima facie case in opposition to him.

Erokoro maintained that the proof offered by the prosecution was inadequate to warrant compelling his shopper to enter a defence to the allegations.

However, opposing the applying, prosecution counsel, Oluwole Aladedoye, urged the courtroom to dismiss the no-case submission and direct El-Rufai to defend himself in opposition to the fees.

Aladedoye argued that the oral and documentary proof offered earlier than the courtroom was ample to determine a case requiring the defendant to reply to the allegations.

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Ruling on the applying, Justice Abdulmalik agreed with the prosecution that the case ought to proceed to the defence stage, thereby rejecting El-Rufai’s request for discharge and acquittal at that stage of the proceedings.

The costs stem from allegations that El-Rufai unlawfully intercepted phone conversations linked to Ribadu.

The controversy adopted an interview the previous governor granted on Prime Time, an Arise Television programme, in February 2026, throughout which he claimed that Ribadu’s phone dialog had been intercepted.

During the interview, El-Rufai stated, “someone wiretapped” the NSA’s cellphone, enabling him to hearken to a dialog by which Ribadu allegedly instructed safety operatives to arrest him.

The allegation subsequently fashioned the idea of the DSS prosecution in opposition to the previous governor.

With the courtroom’s dismissal of the no-case submission, El-Rufai is predicted to current his defence when the case resumes on November 25.

NOP NIGERIA