Witness Testifies on TV in ElRufai Wiretapping Trial

The trial of former Kaduna State governor Nasir ElRufai for alleged wiretapping continued on Monday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, with a key witness testifying about televised remarks that form the basis of the criminal charges.

Human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju, appearing as the second prosecution witness, confirmed to Justice Joyce Abdulmalik that he was present for an Arise Television interview on February 13, the same day ElRufai was a guest. The court replayed a recording of that programme, in which ElRufai discussed the alleged interception of phone communications belonging to National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.

Adeyanju testified that he heard the former governor state, "We listened to the conversations of the NSA." He further told the court that during the broadcast, ElRufai clarified that someone else had carried out the phone tapping and passed the information to him. Under cross-examination by defence counsel Paul Erokoro, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Adeyanju affirmed that he did not hear ElRufai specifically claim to have personally hacked any phone lines.

The charges, filed by the Department of State Services (DSS), stem from the February interview....