Court Rejects El-Rufai’s No-Case Submission 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 the case involving the alleged unlawful interception of telephone conversations linked to the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik ruled that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to require El-Rufai to enter his defence against the five-count amended charge filed by the Department of State Services (DSS).

The judge subsequently 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, following the testimony of two prosecution witnesses.

Through his counsel, Paul Erokoro, the former governor urged 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 before the court was insufficient to require his client to defend himself against the allegations.

However, prosecution counsel, Oluwole Aladedoye, opposed the application and urged the court to dismiss the no-case submission.

Aladedoye argued that the oral and documentary evidence presented by the prosecution was sufficient to establish a case requiring El-Rufai to respond to the allegations.

In her ruling, Justice Abdulmalik agreed with the prosecution and held that the matter should proceed to the defence stage. The decision means El-Rufai must now present his defence rather than secure a discharge at this stage of the proceedings.

The charges arose from allegations that El-Rufai unlawfully intercepted telephone conversations linked to Ribadu.

The controversy followed an interview the former governor granted on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme in February 2026. During the interview, El-Rufai claimed that Ribadu’s telephone conversation had been intercepted.

He said that “someone wiretapped” the NSA’s phone, enabling him to listen to a conversation in which Ribadu allegedly instructed security operatives to arrest him.

The claim subsequently became the basis of the DSS prosecution against the former governor.

The case is scheduled to resume on November 25, 2026, when El-Rufai is expected to begin presenting his defence. The dismissal of his no-case submission does not amount to a determination of guilt.