The Department of State Services (DSS) has arraigned Nasir el-Rufai over allegations that he unlawfully accessed a telephone conversation involving Nuhu Ribadu.
Gatekeepers News reports that El-Rufai, a former minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), was brought before a federal high court in Abuja on a five-count amended charge. At Thursday’s proceedings, the prosecution told the court that the initial three-count charge had been expanded to five counts, prompting the presiding judge, Joyce Abdulmalik, to strike out the earlier charges.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to all five counts.
Bail Application Delayed
Following his plea, DSS counsel Oluwole Aladeloye asked the court to fix a date for trial. However, defence counsel Oluwole Iyamu objected, saying he needed time to consult with his client, who he noted had been in the custody of multiple security agencies.
Iyamu told the court that a bail application had already been filed on February 17, along with a further affidavit submitted recently. But Justice Abdulmalik said the additional filing was not in her records.
The judge criticised the defence, stating Iyamu should have ensured proper filing of documents rather than engaging in what she described as “Nollywood theatrics” involving camera personnel in the courtroom.
In response, Iyamu denied inviting any media presence.
The court subsequently stood down the matter to allow time to resolve the issue surrounding the missing affidavit.
Background to the Case
The charges stem from comments made by el-Rufai in February during an interview on Prime Time on Arise Television, where he alleged that Ribadu’s phone had been wiretapped.
“He made the call because we listened to their calls. The government thinks they are the only ones that listen to calls but we also have our ways. He made the call and gave the order,” el-Rufai said.
“Someone tapped his phone. The government listens to our calls all the time without a court order. Someone tapped his phone and told us that he gave the order.”
