A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai to defend himself against allegations of unlawfully intercepting telephone conversations involving National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
The Punch reported that Justice Joyce Abdulmalik gave the order on Monday after dismissing a no-case submission filed by El-Rufai, ruling that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to require him to respond to the five-count amended charge brought against him by the Department of State Services.
The court consequently directed the former governor to open his defence and adjourned the case until November 25, 2026.
El-Rufai filed the no-case submission after the Federal Government concluded its case, having called two witnesses to testify against him.
Through his counsel, Paul Erokoro, he asked the court to discharge and acquit him, arguing that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against him.
Erokoro maintained that the evidence presented by the prosecution was insufficient to justify requiring his client to enter a defence.
However, prosecution counsel, Oluwole Aladedoye, urged the court to reject the application, insisting that the oral and documentary evidence before it warranted a response from the defendant.
In her ruling, Justice Abdulmalik agreed with the prosecution, holding that the case had reached the stage where El-Rufai was required to defend himself.
The decision effectively rejected his request for discharge and acquittal at this stage of the proceedings.
The charges arose from allegations that El-Rufai unlawfully intercepted telephone conversations linked to Ribadu.
The matter followed an interview the former governor granted on Prime Time, an Arise Television programme, in February 2026.
During the interview, El-Rufai claimed that “someone wiretapped” the NSA’s phone, allowing him to listen to a conversation in which Ribadu allegedly instructed security operatives to arrest him.
The allegation subsequently led to the DSS prosecution. Following Monday’s ruling, El-Rufai is expected to present his defence when the case resumes on November 25.
