By Ola Williams~
ABUJA — The Department of State Services (DSS) on Thursday arraigned former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, before the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations of unlawfully accessing a telephone conversation involving the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.
El-Rufai was docked on a five-count amended charge bordering on alleged illegal interception of communication.
At the commencement of proceedings, the prosecution told the court that the initial three-count charge had been reviewed and expanded to five counts.
“Our application is to proceed with the amended five-count charge,” the prosecution counsel said.
Following the submission, the presiding judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, struck out the earlier charge and directed that the trial proceed on the amended counts.
The former governor pleaded not guilty to all charges.
“I am not guilty of the allegations,” El-Rufai told the court.
The case is linked to remarks previously attributed to him during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time in February, where he alleged that a telephone conversation involving the NSA had been intercepted.
In the interview, El-Rufai claimed he overheard “instructions regarding my arrest” through the purportedly wiretapped conversation.
The court is expected to fix a date for further hearing in the matter.
