By Oxford Reporters
A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a no-case submission filed by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, directing him to enter his defence in the ongoing trial over the alleged unlawful interception of telephone communications belonging to National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik gave the directive on Monday while delivering a ruling on the application filed by the former governor.
The court held that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to require El-Rufai to respond to the allegations against him, paving the way for the trial to proceed to the defence stage.
A no-case submission is an application by a defendant asking the court to dismiss a case on the grounds that the prosecution has failed to present sufficient evidence requiring a defence.
By dismissing the application, the court has given El-Rufai the opportunity to present his defence, should he choose to do so, as proceedings continue.
The ruling, however, does not amount to a conviction, as the allegations against the former governor remain to be determined by the court.
In a separate legal development, an FCT High Court had earlier dismissed a ₦120 million fundamental rights enforcement suit instituted by El-Rufai against the Department of State Services (DSS), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and the Attorney-General of the Federation.
The suit challenged actions taken by the agencies, including invitations extended to him, an attempted arrest at an airport, and the seizure of his international passport.
In its ruling, the court, presided over by Justice Sylvanus Oriji, held that the actions complained of did not constitute a violation of El-Rufai’s fundamental rights.
The court also awarded costs of ₦200,000 against each of the respondents in the suit.
Beyond the alleged wiretapping case, the former Kaduna governor is also facing other legal proceedings, including corruption and money laundering-related matters linked to the ICPC in Kaduna State.
The latest ruling marks another development in the series of legal challenges confronting the former governor.
Further details of the proceedings are expected as the wiretapping trial continues.
