A Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected a no-case submission filed by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, in a case involving the alleged unlawful interception of telephone conversations.
In a ruling delivered on Monday, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik held that the prosecution had presented enough evidence to require the former governor to enter his defence.
El-Rufai is facing a five-count amended charge filed by the Department of State Services over allegations that he unlawfully intercepted telephone conversations involving Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser.
The case followed comments made by the former governor during an interview on Prime Time, an Arise Television programme, in February 2026. El-Rufai had claimed that “someone wiretapped” Ribadu’s telephone and that the interception enabled him to hear the NSA directing security operatives to arrest him.
The prosecution had earlier closed its case after calling two witnesses before El-Rufai filed the no-case submission.
Through his counsel, Paul Erokoro, the former governor urged the court to discharge and acquit him on all five counts.
Erokoro argued that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against his client and therefore had no sufficient basis to compel him to defend himself against the allegations.
The prosecution, however, opposed the application and urged the court to dismiss it.
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Prosecution counsel, Oluwole Aladedoye, maintained that the oral testimony and documentary evidence presented before the court were sufficient to establish a case requiring the defendant to respond.
Justice Abdulmalik subsequently ruled in favour of the prosecution, dismissing El-Rufai’s no-case submission.
The judge thereafter fixed November 25 for the former governor to open his defence in the ongoing trial.