EL RUFAI AWAITS OCTOBER 26 RULING IN ALLEGED WIRETAPPING TRIAL
A Federal High Court in Abuja will rule on October 26 on former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai's request to end his trial over the alleged unlawful interception of telephone communications involving National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu. El-Rufai has pleaded not guilty, while his lawyers argue that prosecutors have failed to establish a case requiring him to enter a defense.
ABUJA, NIGERIA — A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed October 26, 2026, to rule on a no-case submission filed by former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai in his trial over the alleged unlawful interception of telephone communications involving National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik set the date after lawyers for El-Rufai and the Department of State Services presented their arguments on whether the prosecution has produced sufficient evidence to require the former governor to open his defense.
El-Rufai is facing an amended five-count charge brought by the DSS over the alleged interception of Ribadu's telephone communications and an alleged breach of national security.
He has pleaded not guilty.
The case stems from statements El-Rufai made during an ARISE Television interview in February 2026 in which he said someone had intercepted Ribadu's telephone communications and passed the conversation to him.
El-Rufai said the conversation indicated that the national security adviser had directed security operatives to arrest him when he returned to Nigeria from Cairo, Egypt.
The DSS subsequently brought criminal charges against the former governor.
During the trial, prosecutors presented two witnesses and electronic evidence, including a recording of the television interview, before closing their case in June.
El-Rufai's lawyers then filed a no-case submission, a legal procedure through which a defendant argues that the prosecution's evidence is insufficient to require the defendant to present a defence.
At Tuesday's proceedings, the defence urged the court to uphold the application and discharge El-Rufai.
His lawyers argued that prosecutors had failed to establish a prima facie case connecting him to the alleged offences.
The DSS opposed the application.
Prosecuting counsel Oluwole Aladedoye argued that evidence already presented before the court was sufficient to require El-Rufai to enter a defence.
The prosecution also relied on an exhibit containing statements attributed to El-Rufai, which it argues amount to an admission relevant to the allegations.
The defence disputes the prosecution's case and is asking the court to terminate the proceedings without requiring El-Rufai to testify or call evidence.
Justice Abdulmalik will now decide whether the prosecution has presented enough evidence for the case to proceed to the defence stage.
If the court upholds the no-case submission, El-Rufai could be discharged without being required to present a defence. If the application is rejected, the trial would continue and he would be required to answer the prosecution's case.
The October 26 ruling will not determine El-Rufai's guilt if the application is rejected. It will determine whether prosecutors have presented sufficient evidence at this stage for the trial to continue.
El-Rufai remains on ₦100 million bail pending further proceedings.
The allegations against the former governor have not been proven in court, and he remains entitled to the presumption of innocence.
