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.
Testifying as the second prosecution witness before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, Adeyanju told the court that the recording accurately reflected what transpired during the February 13 edition of an interview programme on Arise News, where El-Rufai made claims about 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 would either be arrested or invited by security agencies upon his return from Cairo, Egypt. He noted that he had publicly urged the former governor to honour any invitation from security agencies, insisting that the matter was not politically motivated.
The lawyer told the court that although he and El-Rufai appeared on the same television programme, his segment aired after the former governor’s.
“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 said.
He further testified that he was later invited by the SSS and made a statement confirming that El-Rufai had claimed someone intercepted and passed the information to him.
Following an application by the prosecution, the court replayed the interview earlier tendered during the testimony of the first prosecution witness. After watching the video, Adeyanju confirmed it accurately reflected what he witnessed on February 13.
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Oluwole Aladedoye (SAN), the witness tendered the subpoena summoning him to testify, which was admitted as Exhibit G after defence counsel, Paul Erokoro (SAN), raised no objection.
The prosecution also tendered a recording of Adeyanju’s television interview and a certificate of compliance. The court admitted both documents as Exhibits H and H1.
In the recorded interview, Adeyanju maintained that if the government intended to arrest El-Rufai, the SSS would have done so at the airport.
He also referenced reports that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission was investigating the former governor and insisted that any prosecution should follow the conclusion of investigations.
Adeyanju further described El-Rufai as an “ardent violator of human rights” and characterised his current legal troubles as “karma.”
During cross-examination, Erokoro asked whether El-Rufai had expressly stated that he personally tapped a telephone call. Adeyanju replied that the former governor had said, “We listened to their calls.”
He, however, admitted he had no knowledge of how the alleged interception occurred and maintained that he appeared in court solely because he was summoned.
Justice Abdulmalik subsequently adjourned the case until June 23 for the continuation of trial proceedings.
The SSS had filed a five-count charge against El-Rufai in February after he claimed during an Arise Television interview that he intercepted a telephone conversation involving Ribadu, which allegedly revealed plans by security operatives to arrest him.
The former governor was arraigned on April 23, pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail in the sum of ₦100 million.
