Court dismisses El-Rufai’s no-case submission in phone-tapping trial

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered former Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai to enter his defence in the trial over the alleged unlawful interception of telephone conversations after dismissing his no-case submission.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik ruled on Monday that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to require the former governor to defend himself against the charges.

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 Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser.

The case followed comments made by the former governor during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme in February 2026, when he alleged that someone had wiretapped Ribadu’s telephone.

El-Rufai had claimed that the interception enabled him to listen to the NSA instructing security operatives to arrest him.

After the prosecution closed its case, having called two witnesses, the former governor filed a no-case submission, asking the court to discharge and acquit him.

Moving the application, Paul Erokoro, counsel to El-Rufai, argued that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against his client.

He urged the court to hold that the evidence presented did not warrant requiring the former governor to enter his defence.

However, opposing the application, Oluwole Aladedoye, counsel for the prosecution, urged the court to dismiss the submission and direct El-Rufai to defend himself.

Aladedoye argued that the oral and documentary evidence presented by the prosecution was sufficient to require the defendant to answer the allegations.

In her ruling, Justice Abdulmalik agreed with the prosecution and dismissed the no-case submission, paving the way for the defence to present its case.

The judge adjourned the matter until November 25 for El-Rufai to open his defence.