El-Rufai Denies Wrongdoing As DSS Presents TV Interview In Court

El-Rufai Denies Wrongdoing As DSS Presents TV Interview In Court

The trial of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, took a dramatic turn on Monday after a witness from the Department of State Services (DSS) told the Federal High Court in Abuja that the agency uncovered alleged illegal phone interception involving the former governor through a television interview aired on Arise Television.

The witness, whose identity was concealed for security reasons and identified only as “APC,” appeared before the court as the first prosecution witness in the high-profile case involving alleged unlawful interception of phone conversations linked to National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu.

Led in evidence by prosecuting counsel, Oluwole Aladedoye (SAN), the DSS operative told the court that the agency had prior intelligence indicating that El-Rufai would appear on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme.

According to the witness, DSS operatives monitored the interview closely and later concluded that certain remarks made by the former governor amounted to a confessional statement.

“My Lord, the service got information that the defendant would appear on Arise TV Prime Time Show,” the witness said.

He explained that after watching the programme, he immediately briefed senior officials of the DSS.

“I told them that there was a confessional statement where the defendant said he tapped the conversation of the National Security Adviser,” the operative added.

The court heard that the DSS subsequently copied the interview into a flash drive and preserved it as part of the prosecution’s evidence in the case.

The prosecution later tendered the flash drive and a certificate of compliance before the court. Counsel to El-Rufai, Paul Erokoro (SAN), did not object to the admissibility of the materials.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik thereafter admitted both items as exhibits.

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Following the ruling, the prosecution applied for the interview video to be played openly in court, a request that was granted by the judge.

El-Rufai, dressed in a blue agbada, watched the footage from the dock alongside members of his legal team and other observers present in court.

During the interview played in court, the former governor spoke extensively about an alleged encounter with DSS operatives at the Abuja airport after returning from Egypt.

According to El-Rufai, security officials approached him at the airport and attempted to compel him to accompany them without presenting any formal invitation or official document.

“I came out of the plane and a young man came to me and said, ‘I am SSS and they would want to meet with me in our office,’” El-Rufai said in the recorded interview.

The former governor further alleged during the broadcast that the operation against him was ordered by the National Security Adviser.

According to him, information about the alleged directive was obtained through intercepted phone conversations.

“We listened to their calls, someone tapped the phone conversation and told us that he gave the order,” El-Rufai stated in the interview shown in court.

That statement immediately became one of the major issues raised by the prosecution in the ongoing trial.

The DSS is prosecuting El-Rufai on an amended five-count charge bordering on alleged unlawful interception of communications, breach of national security protocols, and offences connected to provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024 and the Nigerian Communications Act.

The prosecution alleged that the former governor unlawfully interfered with communications classified as part of Nigeria’s Critical National Information Infrastructure.

During the proceedings, El-Rufai also accused security agencies of being used against him for political purposes.

He claimed he was being targeted because of political alignments linked to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term ambitions.

The former governor insisted he had nothing to hide and challenged anyone to produce evidence that he stole public funds during his time in office.

Proceedings were briefly interrupted after the audio quality of the video deteriorated during playback.

Following the technical issue, the prosecution requested additional time to produce a clearer version of the recording, a move the defence did not oppose.

Justice Abdulmalik subsequently adjourned the matter for continuation of hearing.

Earlier, the court granted El-Rufai bail in the sum of N100 million with one surety in like sum.

The judge ruled that the surety must be a federal civil servant not below Grade Level 17 and must own landed property in either Maitama or Asokoro, Abuja.

The court also ordered the former governor to surrender all international passports and report monthly to the DSS headquarters pending the determination of the case.

Justice Abdulmalik further approved the prosecution’s request for DSS witnesses to testify under protection throughout the trial.

The court equally dismissed objections raised by the defence challenging the amended charges and granted accelerated hearing in the matter.

El-Rufai Denies Wrongdoing As DSS Presents TV Interview In Court