The Department of State Services (DSS) has arraigned a former governor of Kaduna state, Nasir El-Rufai, before a Federal High Court in Abuja over his alleged involvement in the bugging of the telephone line of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.
El-Rufai pleaded not guilty when a five-count amended charge, marked:FHC/ABJ/99/2026 was read to him before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.
Proceedings however, got stalled midway into the hearing of the defendant’s bail application when the judge noted that a document referred to by the defence lawyer, Oluwole Iyamu (SAN), was not in the court’s file.
Upon request by Iyamu, which was not opposed by the prosecuting lawyer, Oluwole Aladeloye (SAN), the judge stood down the case for the defence lawyer to ensure that the document is properly before the court.
El-Rufai appeared on Arise TV in February this year where he disclosed that he learnt of an alleged plan to arrest him upon his return to the country through a leaked conversation from the NSA’s phone.
“Ribadu made the call because we listened to their calls. The government thinks that they’re the only ones that listen to calls. But we also have our ways. He made the call. He gave the order that they should arrest me. That technically is illegal. I know, but the government does it all the time. They listen to our calls all the time without a court order. But someone tapped his phone and told us that he gave the order” he said
The Department of State Services (DSS) on Thursday arraigned former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over allegations of unlawfully accessing a phone conversation involving the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
According to reports, El-Rufai is facing a five-count amended charge before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court.
At the start of proceedings, the prosecution informed the court that the charges had been expanded from three to five counts, prompting the presiding judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, to strike out the earlier charges.
El-Rufai, however, pleaded not guilty to all five counts.
The case stems from remarks he made in February during an appearance on Arise Television’s Prime Time, where he claimed that Ribadu’s phone had been wiretapped, enabling him to hear instructions allegedly given by the NSA to security operatives regarding his arrest.