Court orders El-Rufai to enter defence in alleged phone-tapping trial

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday dismissed a no-case submission filed by former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai in his ongoing trial over alleged unlawful interception of the telephone communications of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, in a ruling, held that the Department of State Services (DSS) had placed before the court sufficient evidence to warrant the court to call on El-Rufai to enter his defence if he so desires.

The judge, therefore, ordered El-Rufai, the sole defendant in the charge, to enter his defence.

The former governor had opted for a no-case submission after the DSS closed its case by calling two witnesses.

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El-Rufai, through his counsel, Akinyemi Aremu, had urged the court to hold that the prosecution had failed to establish a case requiring the former governor to enter a defence.

Responding, the DSS lawyer, Oluwole Aladedoye (SAN), adopted their counter affidavit in opposition to the no-case submission.

Aladedoye argued that the defence failed to address Exhibit “B”, which the prosecution said contained El-Rufai’s alleged admission concerning the tapping of Ribadu’s phone.

He added that since the prosecution had established a prima facie case against El-Rufai, the defendant was required by law to enter his defence.