Court Replays El-Rufai Interview as Deji Adeyanju Testifies in Alleged Phone-Tapping Trial
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday replayed an interview granted by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, as human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju testified in the alleged phone-tapping case filed against the former governor by the State Security Service (SSS).
Testifying before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik as the second prosecution witness, Adeyanju told the court that the recording accurately reflected events during a February 13 interview on Arise Television, where El-Rufai made claims concerning the alleged interception of a telephone conversation involving the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
Adeyanju said reports had emerged on February 12 suggesting that El-Rufai could be arrested or invited for questioning by security agencies upon his return from Cairo, Egypt. He noted that he publicly advised the former governor to honour any invitation from security agencies, maintaining that the matter should not be viewed through a political lens.
According to him, both he and El-Rufai appeared on the same Arise Television programme on February 13, although their interviews aired separately.
“I went to Arise, and El-Rufai was also on the show. My segment came after his. During his interview, I listened to him speak on many issues, and I countered many of the things he said because they were not true or were half-truths,” Adeyanju told the court.
He further disclosed that he was later invited by the SSS, where he made a statement regarding the interview.
The prosecution, led by senior lawyer Oluwole Aladedoye (SAN), tendered Adeyanju’s subpoena as evidence. The document was admitted and marked as Exhibit G after no objection was raised by defence counsel, Paul Erokoro (SAN).
The court also admitted a flash drive containing Adeyanju’s television interview and a certificate of compliance, marking them as Exhibits H and H1.
Following an application by the prosecution, the court replayed El-Rufai’s interview. After viewing the footage, Adeyanju confirmed it accurately represented what he witnessed during the broadcast.
During his testimony, Adeyanju maintained that if the government had intended to arrest El-Rufai, security agencies would likely have done so at the airport upon his arrival. He also referenced reports that the former governor was under investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Under cross-examination, defence counsel questioned whether El-Rufai had explicitly stated during the interview that he personally tapped a telephone conversation.
Responding, Adeyanju said El-Rufai had stated that “we listened to their calls,” adding that any claim of a hacked conversation would warrant reporting to the appropriate authorities.
However, he acknowledged having no knowledge of the methods through which the alleged conversation was accessed and reiterated that he appeared in court solely because he was summoned.
Justice Abdulmalik subsequently adjourned the matter until June 23 for continuation of trial proceedings.
The SSS instituted a five-count charge against El-Rufai after comments he made during a February interview in which he allegedly claimed to have intercepted a telephone conversation involving the National Security Adviser. The former governor was arraigned on April 23, pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail in the sum of ₦100 million.
Court Replays El-Rufai Interview as Deji Adeyanju Testifies in Alleged Phone-Tapping Trial