Court fixes October dates for El-Rufai cases

An Abuja Federal High Court has adjourned two separate legal matters involving former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai to late October, setting dates for a ruling on his no-case submission in a wiretapping prosecution and for a definite hearing of his N1 billion fundamental rights suit against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Inspector-General of Police and the Attorney-General of the Federation. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik adjourned the Department of State Services (DSS) wiretapping case until October 26, 2026, after both sides adopted their arguments on El-Rufai's no-case submission. Counsel to El-Rufai, Paul Erokoro, SAN, urged the court to hold that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case requiring his client to enter a defence. Counsel to the DSS, Oluwole Aladedoye, SAN, urged the court to dismiss the application, arguing that the defence had not adequately addressed Exhibit B, which the prosecution says contains an alleged admission by El-Rufai concerning the interception of telephone communications involving National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.