Court sets October 26 ruling on El-Rufai no-case application
A Federal High Court in Abuja will rule on October 26, 2026, on former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai’s request for dismissal of an alleged phone-tapping case without requiring him to present a defence. The DSS urged the court to reject the application and continue the trial.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned until October 26, 2026, to rule on a no-case submission by former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai in an alleged phone-tapping prosecution brought by the Department of State Services. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik reserved the ruling after hearing arguments from both sides. El-Rufai’s lawyer, Paul Erokoro, argued that the prosecution had not established a prima facie case requiring his client to enter a defence.
DSS counsel Oluwole Aladedoye urged the court to dismiss the application. He said the defence had not adequately addressed Exhibit B, which the prosecution described as containing an alleged admission concerning the interception of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu’s telephone communications. The DSS has called two prosecution witnesses, including an operative and lawyer Deji Adeyanju.
The court also viewed a television interview in which El-Rufai was alleged to have said, “We listened to the conversations of the NSA.” Adeyanju said he did not hear El-Rufai expressly say that he hacked Ribadu’s phone. El-Rufai pleaded not guilty to an amended five-count charge involving alleged interception of communications and an alleged national-security breach. The DSS closed its case in June after presenting witnesses and electronic evidence.
El-Rufai remains on ₦100 million bail.
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