The trial of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over alleged treason and breach of national security continued on Monday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, with a prosecution witness testifying that the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, confirmed the authenticity of a private conversation El-Rufai referenced.
The witness said the prosecution played a 43-minute television interview in which El-Rufai claimed someone had wiretapped a conversation involving the NSA and forwarded it to him.
In the interview, El-Rufai reportedly defended the act, stating that governments routinely monitor communications.
According to the witness, investigators interviewed NSA Nuhu Ribadu following the broadcast, and he verbally confirmed that the conversation referenced by El-Rufai had indeed taken place between him and the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The ICPC Chairman also verified the discussion after portions of the interview were played to him.
The court heard that the TV anchor, Charles Aniagolu, activist-lawyer Deji Adeyanju, and the cameraman were invited for questioning.
Aniagolu reportedly confirmed that El-Rufai admitted during the interview that the conversation was intercepted and passed to him.
The prosecution tendered statements from Aniagolu and Adeyanju, which were admitted as Exhibits C, C1, and E without objection.
The cameraman’s statement was admitted as Exhibit D. A preliminary investigation report was also admitted as Exhibit F.
The witness told the court that investigators viewed El-Rufai’s statements in the interview as an “open confession” and concluded that the act could undermine national security, leading to his prosecution.
Under cross-examination by lead defence counsel, Paul Erokoro (SAN), the witness admitted that no communication devices belonging to the NSA were examined, no IP addresses were traced, and no forensic analysis of the alleged interception was conducted.
He, however, maintained that such steps were unnecessary after the NSA confirmed the conversation was authentic.
The witness further agreed that El-Rufai did not claim he personally carried out the interception but repeatedly stood by the fact that the conversation was tapped and sent to him.
When asked if El-Rufai might have been boasting, the witness described him as “a person of integrity” who meant what he said.Justice Joyce Abdulmalik adjourned the matter to June 22 and 23 for continuation of hearing.
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