Illegal Phone Tapping: Court Rejects El-Rufai’s No-Case Submission, Orders Defence

​A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a no-case submission filed by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, ordering him to enter his defence in his ongoing trial over the alleged unlawful interception of National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu’s telephone communications.
​Justice Joyce Abdulmalik delivered the ruling, holding that the Department of State Services (DSS) had established a sufficient prima facie case to warrant calling on the former governor to defend himself.
​Prosecution Evidence and Key Arguments
​The DSS is prosecuting El-Rufai on an amended five-count charge bordering on the illegal wiretapping of communications.
​Key Exhibit: Lead prosecution counsel Oluwole Aladedoye (SAN) argued that the defense failed to address Exhibit “B,” which the prosecution maintains contains El-Rufai’s explicit admission to monitoring the NSA’s calls.
​Witness Testimony: Lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju, who was subpoenaed as a prosecution witness, testified that El-Rufai publicly admitted to wiretapping Ribadu’s phone lines during a television interview.
​Defence Submission: Defence lawyer Akinyemi Aremu urged the court to discharge his client, arguing that the prosecution failed to prove essential elements of the alleged crime through its two witnesses.
​Trial Adjourned to November 25
​Dismissing the application, Justice Abdulmalik held that the evidence presented by the prosecution requires a response from the defendant.
​The court subsequently adjourned the case to November 25, 2026, for El-Rufai to open his defence.