Nigeria: Wiretapping - Court Fixes Nov 25 for El-Rufai's Trial

What the report says

A Federal High Court in Abuja has set November 25 for former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai to begin his defence in a criminal case over alleged unlawful interception of telephone conversations. The report, published by Daily Trust and distributed by AllAfrica, says the ruling was made by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik after the court rejected El-Rufai’s no-case submission.

According to the article, the judge found that the Federal Government had presented enough evidence for the former governor to answer the five-count amended charge brought by the Department of State Services. The case concerns allegations tied to comments El-Rufai made in a February 2026 interview on Arise TV, where he reportedly said someone had wiretapped the phone of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.

El-Rufai’s legal team had argued that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case and asked the court to dismiss the matter. Prosecutors opposed that request, saying the oral and documentary evidence was sufficient. The court sided with the prosecution and adjourned the matter to November 25. The case is notable because it involves a former state governor, the security service, and claims linked to a top national security official, all of which have drawn public attention in Nigeria.