A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a no-case submission by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and ordered him to enter his defence in the ongoing trial over the alleged unlawful interception of telephone communications involving National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, in a ruling on Monday, held that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to warrant calling on El-Rufai to respond to the allegations against him.
Also read: El-Rufai sues ICPC for N10bn over family access
The ruling followed the former governor’s application seeking to be discharged and acquitted without entering a defence.
El-Rufai is facing an amended five-count charge filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) over the alleged interception of Ribadu’s telephone communications. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The former governor filed the no-case submission after the prosecution closed its case following the testimony of two witnesses.
Through his legal team, El-Rufai argued that the evidence presented by the prosecution was insufficient to establish a prima facie case requiring him to open his defence.
The prosecution, however, opposed the application and urged the court to dismiss it, maintaining that both oral and documentary evidence placed before the court were sufficient for the trial to proceed.
The DSS had previously relied on evidence relating to comments made by El-Rufai during a February 2026 interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme.
The court also heard evidence concerning the televised interview during earlier proceedings.
With the dismissal of the no-case submission, the trial will now proceed to the defence stage.
Justice Abdulmalik has adjourned the matter until November 25, 2026, when El-Rufai is expected to present his defence.
The latest ruling does not amount to a finding of guilt. It means only that, at this stage of the proceedings, the court found sufficient prosecution evidence to require the former governor to respond to the allegations.
Also read: El-Rufai sues ICPC for N10bn over family access
The case centres on claims arising from El-Rufai’s February interview, in which he alleged that Ribadu’s telephone had been wiretapped and that he was able to listen to a conversation involving the NSA and security officials. The allegation subsequently became the basis of the DSS prosecution.
David Okere is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering business, governance, public affairs, and human-interest stories with a commitment to accuracy, balance, and public interest reporting.
