Phone-tapping charge: Court rejects El-Rufai’s no-case submission
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday held that the detained former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has a case to answer over an allegation that he unlawfully intercepted the phone communications of the…
Nasir El-Rufai, who governed Kaduna State between 2015 and 2023, has been standing trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations that he unlawfully ordered the interception of phone communications while in office, in a case brought by the Department of State Services. A no-case submission is a standard defence tactic after the prosecution closes its case, arguing that the evidence presented is too weak to require the accused to open a defence; its rejection simply means the court believes the prosecution has made out a prima facie case, not a finding of guilt.
The ruling keeps El-Rufai, a prominent opposition figure and former ally-turned-critic of the ruling party, in the dock to formally defend himself against the charges. All four reports agree on the central fact — that the court dismissed the no-case submission — though none detail the judge's specific reasoning, the next trial date, or what defence El-Rufai is expected to mount.