Court Fixes October 26 to Rule on El-Rufai’s Bid to Stop Phone-Tapping Trial

The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed October 26, 2026, to rule on a no-case submission filed by detained former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, seeking to stop his trial over alleged unlawful interception of the telephone communications of National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik fixed the date on Tuesday after hearing arguments from El-Rufai’s defence team and the Federal Government over whether the former governor should be called upon to open his defence.

El-Rufai, through his lead counsel, Paul Erokoro, SAN, asked the court to discharge and acquit him of the five-count amended charge filed by the Federal Government through the Department of State Services (DSS).

The former governor argued that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against him and urged the court to uphold his no-case submission and terminate the proceedings.

However, prosecution counsel, Oluwole Aladedoye, SAN, urged the court to reject the application and order El-Rufai to enter his defence. He argued that the oral and documentary evidence presented during the trial was sufficient to link the defendant to the allegations.

The prosecution had earlier closed its case after calling two witnesses. Evidence presented during the proceedings has included material relating to El-Rufai’s February 2026 interview on Arise Television, in which he allegedly referred to an intercepted conversation involving Ribadu.

El-Rufai has maintained that the statements he made during the television interview did not amount to a legal confession. His lawyers argued that the remarks were made during a public discussion without caution or warning and could not properly be treated as a confessional statement.

The former governor is facing the amended five-count charge over allegations that he was involved in the unlawful interception of the NSA’s telephone communications and failed to report the alleged offence to relevant security authorities. He has denied wrongdoing and is challenging the basis of the prosecution.

The court had previously declined an application by El-Rufai seeking to vary his bail conditions, which his lawyers described as difficult to fulfil. The case will now return on October 26 for the court’s ruling on whether the prosecution has established a case requiring the former governor to present a defence.