A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed November 25 for former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai to open his defence in the ongoing trial over alleged unlawful interception of telephone conversations
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik fixed the date on Monday after dismissing a no-case submission filed by El-Rufai, ruling that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to require him to defend himself against the charges
The court’s decision followed arguments by the defence and prosecution over whether the evidence presented by the Federal Government established a prima facie case against the former governor
El-Rufai is facing a five-count amended charge filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) over allegations that he unlawfully intercepted telephone conversations linked to the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu
The case arose from comments El-Rufai made during an interview on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme in February 2026, when he said “someone wiretapped” Ribadu’s phone, enabling him to listen to the NSA instructing security operatives to arrest him
The Federal Government had called two witnesses before closing its case, prompting El-Rufai to file a no-case submission, asking the court to discharge and acquit him without requiring him to enter his defence
Moving the application on Monday, his counsel, Paul Erokoro, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), argued that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against his client
He urged the court to uphold the application and discharge and acquit the former governor of the five-count amended charge
However, prosecution counsel Oluwole Aladedoye urged the court to dismiss the application, arguing that the oral and documentary evidence presented was sufficient to require El-Rufai to defend himself
In her ruling, Justice Abdulmalik upheld the prosecution’s position and ordered the former governor to open his defence
The court subsequently adjourned the case until November 25 for him to do so