The trial of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai continued on Tuesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where the prosecution presented evidence relating to allegations of treason and breach of national security.
The case centres on claims that El-Rufai referenced the interception of a private telephone conversation involving the National Security Adviser (NSA).
During the sitting, the prosecution played a 43-minute interview the former governor granted on Arise Television, in which he reportedly said that someone had intercepted a conversation involving the NSA and forwarded it to him. He also suggested that government agencies routinely engage in similar surveillance practices.
A prosecution witness told the court that investigators subsequently interviewed the NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, who confirmed that a conversation had taken place between him and the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). The ICPC chairman also reportedly confirmed the discussion after excerpts of the interview were played to him.
The witness further testified that several individuals linked to the broadcast, including programme anchor Charles Aniagolu, activist-lawyer Deji Adeyanju, and a cameraman, were invited for questioning.
According to the prosecution, Aniagolu confirmed during questioning that El-Rufai stated on air that the conversation had been intercepted and sent to him, while also arguing that such practices are common among governments.
Statements obtained from Aniagolu and Adeyanju were tendered in evidence and admitted by the court without objection from the defence. A statement from Arise TV cameraman Ugochukwu Agalayana was also admitted, in which he said he set up the equipment used for the interview but did not follow the conversation.
The prosecution witness told the court that investigators concluded El-Rufai’s comments amounted to what they described as an “open confession” regarding the alleged interception. The team also said the remarks raised national security concerns and recommended prosecution.
A preliminary investigation report was also submitted and admitted as evidence.
Under cross-examination, defence counsel Chief Paul Erokoro (SAN) questioned the depth of the investigation, noting that no communication devices were analysed and no forensic examination or IP tracing was carried out.
The witness responded that such steps were unnecessary because the NSA and ICPC chairman had already confirmed the existence of the conversation referenced in the interview.
He also acknowledged that El-Rufai did not explicitly claim to have carried out the interception himself but maintained that the former governor consistently stood by the assertion that the conversation was tapped and relayed to him.
When asked whether El-Rufai might have been speaking figuratively or politically during the interview, the witness said he believed the former governor meant his statements literally.
Following the cross-examination of the first prosecution witness, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik adjourned the matter until June 22 and 23 for continuation of trial.
