The Abuja Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, has adjourned till October 26, 2026, to rule on a no-case submission filed by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, in the alleged phone-tapping case brought against him by the Department of State Services (DSS). The El-Rufai phone-tapping case ruling is now one of the most closely watched legal proceedings in the country, given the political weight attached to the matter.
Justice Abdulmalik reserved judgment after listening to arguments from both the defense and the DSS on the application. Counsel to El-Rufai, Paul Erokoro, SAN, while adopting the no-case submission, urged the court to hold that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case requiring his client to enter a defense.
Responding on behalf of the DSS, counsel Oluwole Aladedoye, SAN, adopted the secret police’s counterargument, urging the court to dismiss the no-case submission and compel El-Rufai to open his defense. According to Aladedoye, the defense team failed to adequately address Exhibit B, which the prosecution claims contains an alleged admission by El-Rufai regarding the interception of telephone communications belonging to National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
After hearing both sides, Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the matter until October 26 for the anticipated El-Rufai phone-tapping case ruling.
It will be recalled that the DSS had earlier called two prosecution witnesses, including a DSS operative and human rights lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, who testified about comments allegedly made by El-Rufai during a television interview concerning the interception of Ribadu’s phone communications. During proceedings, the court also reviewed the televised interview in which El-Rufai was alleged to have said, “We listened to the conversations of the NSA.” Adeyanju told the court that while he did not hear El-Rufai explicitly admit to hacking Ribadu’s phone, he did hear him make the statement about listening to the NSA’s conversations.
El-Rufai is facing an amended five-count charge bordering on the alleged interception of Ribadu’s telephone communications and an alleged breach of national security. He has pleaded not guilty to all counts. The DSS closed its case in June after presenting witnesses and electronic evidence, including the television interview recording, with a prosecution witness also confirming that Ribadu acknowledged the referenced conversation had indeed taken place.
The former Kaduna governor remains on N100 million bail after the court earlier turned down his request to vary the bail conditions.
The Backstory: How the El-Rufai Phone-Tapping Saga Began
The case against El-Rufai stems from public remarks he made during a television interview, where he appeared to suggest that conversations involving the National Security Adviser had been monitored. Those comments quickly attracted the attention of security operatives, culminating in formal charges tied to alleged telephone interception and national security breaches.
Since the trial began, it has drawn significant public interest, largely due to El-Rufai’s political profile as a former two-term governor and prominent voice within Nigerian politics. With the case now hinging on a no-case submission, the upcoming ruling could determine whether the trial proceeds to a full defense or gets dismissed at this stage, a decision many legal observers say could set an important precedent.
