A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a no-case submission filed by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, in his alleged unlawful telephone interception case involving National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, who presided over the case, ruled that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to require the former governor to enter his defence, should he choose to do so.

The ruling marks a significant development in the ongoing trial, as the court declined to terminate the case at the close of the prosecution’s presentation of evidence.

El-Rufai is accused of unlawfully intercepting Ribadu’s telephone communications. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

A no-case submission is a legal application in which a defendant argues that the prosecution has failed to present sufficient evidence to justify requiring the defendant to respond to the charges.

By dismissing the application, the court has determined that the case should proceed beyond the prosecution stage. The ruling does not amount to a finding of guilt against the former governor.

El-Rufai is therefore expected to decide whether to open his defence in accordance with the court’s direction and the applicable legal procedure.

The allegations remain before the court, and the former governor is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in accordance with the law.

Additional details from the court proceedings

According to reports published on October 26, 2026, the prosecution, led by the Department of State Services (DSS), closed its case after calling two witnesses, including a DSS operative and lawyer Deji Adeyanju.

The prosecution argued that evidence before the court, including a television interview recording, was sufficient to establish a prima facie case against El-Rufai. The defence, however, maintained that the evidence did not justify requiring him to enter a defence.

El-Rufai is facing an amended five-count charge relating to the alleged interception of telephone communications and related offences. The court adjourned the case until November 25, 2026, for the defence stage.

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