A Federal High Court in Abuja has directed former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai to defend himself against allegations of unlawful telephone interception after rejecting his application seeking to have the case dismissed.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik gave the order on Monday after ruling that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to require El-Rufai to respond to the five-count amended charge filed against him by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The judge adjourned the matter until November 25, 2026, for the former governor to open his defence.
El-Rufai had filed a no-case submission after the Federal Government concluded its case through the testimony of two prosecution witnesses.
Through his counsel, Paul Erokoro, the former governor urged the court to discharge and acquit him, arguing that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against him.
Erokoro maintained that the evidence presented by the prosecution was insufficient to justify requiring his client to defend himself against the allegations.
However, prosecution counsel, Oluwole Aladedoye, opposed the application, urging the court to dismiss it and direct El-Rufai to enter his defence.
Aladedoye argued that the oral and documentary evidence presented during the trial provided sufficient grounds for the case to proceed.
In her ruling, Justice Abdulmalik agreed with the prosecution, holding that the matter should advance to the defence stage.
The decision does not amount to a finding of guilt but requires El-Rufai to respond to the allegations as the trial continues.
How the case began
The charges arose from claims made by El-Rufai during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme in February 2026, when he alleged that telephone conversations involving National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu had been intercepted.
During the interview, El-Rufai said “someone wiretapped” Ribadu’s telephone, allowing him to listen to a conversation in which the NSA allegedly instructed security operatives to arrest him.
The allegation subsequently became the basis of the DSS prosecution against the former governor.
With the court’s rejection of his no-case submission, El-Rufai is expected to present his defence when proceedings resume on November 25.
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