DSS accuses El-Rufai’s family of incitement over bail conditions

The Department of State Services (DSS) has accused the family of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai of allegedly inciting public opinion against the judiciary over his detention and bail conditions.

The DSS lawyer, Oluwole Aladedoye (SAN), made the allegation before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja, shortly after the case was called for trial continuation on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.

Aladedoye told the court that relatives of El-Rufai had repeatedly used social media and press engagement to portray the prosecution and security agencies as persecuting the defendant.

Aladedoye cited an incident on May 15 where one of El-Rufai’s wives allegedly arrived at the ICPC’s facility with cameramen and began livestreaming and claiming that her husband was being denied food and access to family members.

The lawyer further alleged that a popular politician also published claims, suggesting El-Rufai could be harmed in custody, forcing security operatives to move him to DSS custody to avoid further controversy.

Aladedoye said the situation escalated when members of the former governor’s family, including two wives and a son, went to the DSS headquarters with journalists and publicly criticised the court’s bail conditions.

Aladedoye stated that rather than pursue their grievances through legal channels, the family resorted to media campaigns capable of undermining public confidence in the judiciary.

He, therefore, urged the court to caution El-Rufai and his family against further public attacks, insisting that the matter before the court was a criminal prosecution and not a political persecution.

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Responding, the defence counsel, E. E. Ekere, said he was unaware of the allegations raised by the prosecution.

Ekere said El-Rufai should not be held responsible for comments made outside the courtroom.

He, however, stated that the defence team would advise the former governor’s family members and sympathisers to exercise restraint.

Justice Abdulmalik stated that she pays no attention to social media narratives.

The judge, who said issues circulating online should remain outside courtroom proceedings, directed that the trial should continue.

The prosecution counsel then called the first prosecution witness to continue his evidence.

Aladedoye then tendered a silver flash drive and a certificate of compliance through the witness, which were admitted as Exhibits B and B1, respectively.

The judge directed that the video recording of interview granted by El-Rufai, saved in the flash drive, be played in the open court.

El-Rufai is being prosecuted over alleged breach of national security.

The former governor, who was arraigned on April 23 for allegedly intercepting the phone conversations of the telephone line of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, pleaded not guilty to the five-count further amended charge.