In the ongoing trial of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, the prosecution explained to the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday why the defendant was transferred from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) to the Department of State Services (DSS).
According to reports, El-Rufai is charged on five counts for allegedly admitting to listening in on phone calls with Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Advisor, in a television appearance.
Oluwole Aladedoye (SAN), lead prosecuting attorney, informed the court that El-Rufai’s family members had allegedly engaged in disruptive behavior prior to the move.
According to Aladedoye, one of the former governor’s wives allegedly showed up at the ICPC facility on May 15 with cameramen and livestreamed allegations that her husband was being denied access to family members and food.
He added that security services sent El-Rufai to DSS custody in order to prevent more controversy, and he accused lawmaker Timi Frank of spreading allegations that suggested El-Rufai might be hurt while in detention.
The prosecution also claimed that El-Rufai’s family criticized the terms of his bail and utilized the media to paint the case as political persecution.
In response, defense attorney E.E. Ekere denied being aware of the accusations and contended that the defendant shouldn’t be held accountable for remarks made outside of court.
In response, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik stated that she ignored social media narratives and suggested that internet disputes stay outside of judicial proceedings.
On an intercepted call, a witness testifies
A flash drive with a 43-minute interview that El-Rufai gave to Arise Television was allowed into evidence by the court throughout the hearings.
The National Security Adviser was questioned by investigators, according to the prosecution’s witness, APC, who informed the court that the discussion El-Rufai mentioned had actually occurred.
After hearing parts of the interview, the witness said that the ICPC chairman also acknowledged talking about the issue with the NSA.
The witness acknowledged under cross-examination that investigators did not look at communication devices, get IP addresses, or perform forensic analysis of the purported interception.
However, the witness maintained that El-Rufai consistently maintained his assertion that the conversation had been recorded and sent to him.
After that, Justice Abdulmalik postponed the case’s next hearing to June 22 and 23.
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