Alex Enumah in Abuja
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of a Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday ordered a former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, to enter his defence if he so wishes in his ongoing trial on bugging the phone communications of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.
Justice Abdulmalik made the order shortly after dismissing the no-case submission filed by El-Rufai, in response to the prosecution’s case.
In her ruling on the no-case submission, the choose held that there’s enough proof by the prosecution to warrant the court docket to name on the defendant to enter his defence if he so wishes.
She subsequently adjourned until November 25 for the previous governor to open his defence.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain is standing trial on a five-count prison cost introduced in opposition to him by the Department of State Services (DSS).
At the no-case submission listening to on September 22, the prosecution, represented by Oluwole Aladedoye (SAN), objected to the submission and urged the court docket to dismiss it and order the defendant to enter his defence.
According to Aladedoye, the defendant failed to tackle Exhibit “B”, which the prosecution claimed incorporates El-Rufai’s admission in relation to the tapping of Ribadu’s cellphone.
He contended that for the reason that prosecution has successfully established a prima facie case in opposition to El-Rufai, by its two witnesses, the defendant is required by legislation to enter a defence.
Defence lawyer, Akinyemi Aremu, whereas adopting his shopper’s no-case submission, argued that the prosecution failed to set up a prima facie case in opposition to the ex-governor to require him to be known as upon to enter a defence.
Aremu urged the court docket to uphold the no-case submission and discharge his shopper.
El-Rufai opted for a no-case submission after the prosecution closed its case upon calling two witnesses — an operative of the DSS and a lawyer, Deji Adeyanju.
Adeyanju, who testified as a subpoenaed witness, informed the court docket that the ex-governor admitted throughout a tv interview that he wiretapped the NSA’s cellphone traces.
