Former Kaduna State Gov. Nasir El-Rufai must decide how to answer an alleged interception charge after an Abuja judge rejected his bid to end the case without a defense, BusinessDay reported Monday.
BusinessDay reported that Federal High Court Justice Joyce Abdulmalik rejected the application after reviewing the prosecution’s presentation. The ruling moves the case to the defense phase, but the judge made no finding on guilt.
The Department of State Services (DSS) called two witnesses and rested before El-Rufai asked the court to end proceedings without a defense, BusinessDay reported. He argued that the prosecution had not made its case for requiring him to respond.
The witnesses included a security operative and lawyer Deji Adeyanju, who appeared under subpoena, according to the report. In opposing the request, DSS lawyer Oluwole Aladedoye pointed to Exhibit B, which he said contained an admission by El-Rufai related to the alleged interception.
BusinessDay linked the case to a television interview in which El-Rufai allegedly discussed intercepting a call involving National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu. The report said he tied the call to an alleged plan by security personnel to arrest him after his return from Cairo and an incident at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Feb. 12.
BusinessDay said the DSS accused El-Rufai of conduct it viewed as potentially breaching national security. It said the trial is expected to proceed with El-Rufai’s defense.
