Court Dismisses El-Rufai’s No-case Submission in ‘Illegal Phone Interception’ Case

A federal high court in Abuja has dismissed a no-case submission filed by Nasir el-Rufai, former Kaduna governor, in the case pertaining to alleged unlawful interception of telephone conversations.

In a ruling on Monday, Joyce Abdulmalik, presiding judge, held that the prosecution provided sufficient evidence to warrant calling on the defendant to enter his defence.

El-Rufai is standing trial on a five-count amended charge filed by the DSS over allegations that he unlawfully intercepted telephone conversations linked to Nuhu Ribadu, the national security adviser.

In February 2026, during an interview on ‘Prime Time’, an Arise Television programme, el-Rufai said “someone wiretapped” Ribadu’s phone, allowing him to listen to the NSA instructing security operatives to effect his arrest.

The federal government had closed its case after presenting two witnesses.

The former governor then filed a no-case submission.

Moving the application, Paul Erokoro, counsel to el-Rufai, asked the court to discharge and acquit the former governor of the five-count amended charge.

Erokoro argued that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case to warrant the court compelling el-Rufai to enter a defence to the charge.

Opposing the no-case submission, Oluwole Aladedoye, the prosecution counsel, asked the court to dismiss the application and order the defendant to open his defence.

Aladedoye said the oral and documentary evidence laid before the court was sufficient to try the defendant.

The judge then ruled in favour of the prosecution.

She subsequently adjourned till November 25 for el-Rufai to open his defence.