Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has pleaded not guilty to amended charges bordering on alleged illegal interception of the phone communications of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, before a Federal High Court in Abuja.
The Department of State Services (DSS) brought him before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik on an amended five-count charge, after previously filing a three-count charge which was later revised during the proceedings.
At the start of the hearing, the prosecution informed the court that the earlier charges had been updated, and the original counts were struck out before the new charges were read to the defendant. El-Rufai denied all allegations.
The case stems from allegations that the former governor unlawfully intercepted or accessed the NSA’s phone communications, claims linked to a public admission during a television interview.
Following his plea, the prosecution urged the court to proceed with trial dates, while defence counsel requested time to address issues relating to bail and documentation. The court adjourned further proceedings to allow proper filing and continuation of the bail hearing process.
