By Onoja Baba, Nigeria
The Department of State Services has arraigned former Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai before a Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations that he unlawfully accessed the telephone conversation of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
El-Rufai, who also served as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, is being prosecuted on a five-count amended charge.
At the commencement of proceedings on Thursday, the prosecution informed the court that the initial three-count charge had been amended to five counts, prompting the presiding judge, Joyce Abdulmalik, to strike out the earlier charges.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to all counts brought against him by the DSS.
Following his plea, counsel to the DSS, Oluwole Aladeloye, requested that the court fix dates for trial.
However, counsel to the defendant, Oluwole Iyamu, objected, stating that he needed time to properly consult with his client, who he said had been in the custody of multiple security agencies.
Iyamu further informed the court that a bail application had been filed as far back as February 17, along with a recent further affidavit.
The presiding judge, however, noted that the said affidavit was not in her court file and criticised the defence for failing to properly ensure its filing, cautioning against what she described as theatrics involving camera personnel in the courtroom.
The defence counsel denied inviting any media presence. The court subsequently stood down the matter to allow for clarification and proper documentation of the bail application.
The charges against El-Rufai stem from comments he made in February during an interview on Prime Time, where he alleged that individuals had tapped Ribadu’s phone and listened to conversations in which the NSA purportedly instructed security operatives to arrest him.
He also claimed that government agencies routinely monitor communication
s without court orders.
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