Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed April 23 for the arraignment of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over allegations of unlawful interception of communications.
The case, instituted by the Department of State Services (DSS), was initially slated for arraignment on February 25 but could not proceed due to the defendant’s absence in court.
At Wednesday’s proceedings, counsel to the DSS, Oluwole Aladedoyin, informed the court that El-Rufai remains in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
According to him, the former governor is undergoing investigation over separate allegations of misappropriation of funds.
Following the disclosure, Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the matter to April 23 to enable the arraignment to take place.
The Federal Government, through the DSS, filed a three-count charge accusing El-Rufai of unlawful interception of communications.
The charges stem from remarks he allegedly made during a televised interview in which he claimed that he and unnamed associates listened to conversations from the phone of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
In the interview, El-Rufai reportedly acknowledged that intercepting private communications without authorisation is unlawful but suggested that such practices were not uncommon.
According to court documents filed at the Abuja Judicial Division of the Federal High Court, the Federal Republic of Nigeria is listed as the complainant, while El-Rufai is named as the sole defendant.
Legal and Political Implications
The case has attracted significant public attention, given El-Rufai’s political profile and the sensitivity of the allegations, which touch on national security and privacy laws.
With the new arraignment date set, legal observers expect the proceedings to clarify the scope of the allegations and the evidence the prosecution intends to rely upon.
Until then, the matter remains before the Federal High Court, as parallel investigations involving the former governor continue.
