By Jeffrey Agbo
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday dismissed a no-case submission filed by former governor of Kaduna State Nasir El-Rufai in his ongoing trial over alleged unlawful interception of the telephone communications of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik ruled that the Department of State Services (DSS) had placed before the court sufficient evidence to warrant the court to call on the ex-governor to enter his defence if he so desires.
The judge, therefore, ordered El-Rufai, the sole defendant in the charge, to enter his defence.
El-Rufai had opted for a no-case submission after the DSS closed its case by calling two witnesses.
The ex-governor, through his counsel, Akinyemi Aremu, had urged the court to hold that the prosecution had failed to establish a case requiring the former governor to enter a defence.
In response, the DSS lawyer, Oluwole Aladedoye, SAN, adopted their counter affidavit in opposition to the no-case submission.
Aladedoye argued that the defence failed to address Exhibit “B”, which the prosecution said contained El-Rufai’s alleged admission concerning the tapping of Ribadu’s phone.
He submitted that since the prosecution had established a prima facie case against El-Rufai, the defendant was required by law to enter his defence.
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