Federal High Court Hears Prosecution in Wiretapping Case Against Former Kaduna Governor
A Federal High Court in Abuja has accepted the testimony of a Department of State Services (DSS) witness in the trial of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai. The ex-governor stands accused of tapping the phone line of the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. During an interview on Arise TV Prime Time in February, El-Rufai asserted that he had monitored NSA telephone conversations.
Key Testimony Presented
Human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju, the second prosecution witness, testified that El-Rufai made his controversial comments during an interview on Arise TV on February 16, the same day he publicly admitted to eavesdropping on the NSA’s communications. Adeyanju stated that the former governor specifically mentioned, “we were listening to NSA conversations.”
Evidence Submitted in Court
Under the examination of the prosecuting lawyer, Oluwole Aladedoye, Adeyanju confirmed he recognized El-Rufai as the former Kaduna Governor and recalled responding to reports about a potential arrest of El-Rufai by security forces. The prosecution presented the subpoena used to summon Adeyanju, which the court accepted and marked as Exhibit G.
Review of Recorded Interviews
The court also viewed the Arise TV segment featuring El-Rufai, leading to a subsequent review of the recorded statements made during the program by Mr. Adeyanju. The prosecution introduced another of Adeyanju’s interviews, stored on a flash drive, which was admitted into evidence as Exhibits H and H1, accompanied by a compliance certificate.
Investigation Details Discussed
During his testimony, Adeyanju recounted being invited by the DSS to recount the events at the television studio. He revealed that during questioning, El-Rufai confessed that his phone had been wiretapped and that the information was relayed to him. Under cross-examination by defense attorney Paul Erokoro, Adeyanju clarified that while he did not directly hear El-Rufai claim to have hacked the NSA’s phone lines, he did hear him assert, “We were listening in on NSA conversations.”
Prosecution Submits Additional Evidence
The prosecution introduced the official gazette without any objection from the defense, which was subsequently admitted as Exhibit I. The matter was adjourned until June 23 for the continuation of the trial.
Charges Against El-Rufai
The DSS has accused El-Rufai of involvement in wiretapping the National Security Adviser’s communications. In a three-count complaint filed under case number FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026 at the Federal High Court, the agency alleges that El-Rufai violated provisions of the Cybercrime Prohibition Act (2024) and the Nigerian Communications Act (2003). The charges include unlawful interception of NSA communications and failing to report illegal activities to appropriate authorities.
