Former Kaduna governor challenges evidence against him as court refuses request to ease bail conditions.
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, is set to challenge the case brought against him by the Department of State Services (DSS) after the agency formally closed its prosecution before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
El-Rufai is facing a five-count amended charge bordering on alleged unlawful interception of communications and breach of national security. The charges stem from comments he reportedly made during a television interview in which he claimed to have intercepted a phone conversation involving the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, DSS counsel, Oluwole Aladedoye, informed the court that the prosecution had concluded its case and would not be calling additional witnesses.
Following the development, El-Rufai’s lawyer, Paul Erokoro (SAN), announced that the defence would file a no-case submission, arguing that the prosecution failed to establish sufficient evidence requiring the former governor to open his defence.
The defence requested two weeks to file the application, while the prosecution sought a similar period to respond.
Erokoro also urged the court to relax the bail conditions earlier imposed on El-Rufai, describing them as difficult to satisfy. He argued that the requirement for Level 17 civil servants with properties in Abuja’s Maitama or Asokoro districts, alongside verification documents from the Kaduna State Traditional Council, was overly stringent.
However, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik rejected the request, ruling that qualified public servants capable of meeting the bail conditions were available.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter until September 22 for the filing of the no-case submission and further proceedings.