Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has been arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations of illegally intercepting and bugging the telephone line of Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
El-Rufai appeared before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik on Thursday, where he pleaded not guilty to a five-count amended charge marked FHC/ABJ/99/2026.
The case, however, experienced a brief delay during the hearing of his bail application after the court observed that a key document referenced by the defence counsel, Oluwole Iyamu (SAN), was missing from the official case file.
Following a request by the defence team, which was not opposed by the prosecution counsel, Oluwole Aladeloye (SAN), the court temporarily stood down proceedings to allow the missing document to be properly filed and reviewed.
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The judge is expected to resume hearing once the procedural issue is resolved.
Court officials confirmed that the matter will continue at a later date, with further proceedings expected to clarify the charges and supporting evidence presented by the prosecution.
The arraignment marks a significant development in the ongoing legal process involving the former governor, drawing attention to issues of alleged unlawful surveillance and national security concerns.
Further updates are expected as the case progresses in court.
