By Our Reporter
A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai to enter his defence, if he so wishes, in the ongoing trial over the alleged unlawful interception of the telephone communications of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik gave the order on Monday while ruling on a no-case submission filed by El-Rufai, who served as Kaduna governor from 2015 to 2023.
The judge dismissed the no-case submission, holding that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to warrant calling on the former governor to defend himself.
A no-case submission is an application by a defendant asking the court to dismiss a case without requiring a defence, usually on the grounds that the prosecution has failed to establish sufficient evidence against the defendant.
In dismissing El-Rufai’s application, Justice Abdulmalik ruled that the evidence presented by the prosecution justified requiring him to respond to the allegations if he chose to do so.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter until November 25 for the defence.
The case centres on allegations that El-Rufai unlawfully intercepted Ribadu’s telephone communications. The allegations remain subject to determination by the court.