Breaking: El-Rufai Pleads Not Guilty to Alleged National Security Breach Charges

The Department of State Services has formally arraigned former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on an amended five-count charge relating to alleged breaches of national security.

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El-Rufai appeared before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja, where he pleaded not guilty to all charges.

At the hearing, DSS counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Oluwole Aladedoye, informed the court that the case was scheduled for the defendant’s plea and confirmed that a further amended five-count charge had been filed on April 13, 2026. He requested that it replace the earlier three-count charge.

Counsel to the defendant, Oluwole Iyamu, SAN, confirmed receipt of the amended charge and did not object, leading the court to strike out the initial three-count charge.

After the charges were read, El-Rufai maintained his plea of not guilty. The prosecution then requested three consecutive trial dates.

However, the defence objected, arguing that continuous trial dates would be impractical since the former governor is currently in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, making access difficult.

The defence also informed the court of a pending bail application filed on February 17, 2026. Although a supporting affidavit was initially missing from the court file, it was later located after the matter was stood down briefly.

The DSS confirmed it did not oppose the bail request.

During proceedings, the prosecution also sought a court order to protect the identities of two witnesses, requesting that their names be withheld from public records and replaced with pseudonyms, citing security concerns and possible threats from supporters of the defendant.

The defence strongly opposed the request, arguing that it is a constitutional right of an accused person to know their accusers and that no evidence had been provided to justify anonymity. It further insisted that El-Rufai does not pose any threat or have any “cult-like” following that would endanger witnesses.

The defence also urged the court to compel the prosecution to provide proof of evidence to aid preparation for trial, while separately filing an application seeking to quash the charge entirely.