By Ado Oyeyemi
The trial of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over allegations bordering on treason and breach of national security continued on Tuesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, with the prosecution presenting evidence linking him to an alleged wiretapped conversation involving the National Security Adviser.
During proceedings, the prosecution played a 43-minute interview allegedly granted by El-Rufai on Arise News Television, in which he reportedly disclosed that a private discussion involving the National Security Adviser had been intercepted and forwarded to him.
According to the prosecution, El-Rufai also defended the act during the interview, arguing that governments routinely monitor communications.
A prosecution witness told the court that investigators later questioned the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, who reportedly confirmed that the conversation referenced by the former governor truly took place between him and the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
The witness added that the ICPC chairman equally acknowledged discussing the matter with Ribadu after investigators played portions of the television interview to him.
The court also heard that the programme anchor, Charles Aniagolu, activist-lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, and a cameraman were invited for questioning as part of the investigation.
According to the witness, Aniagolu confirmed that El-Rufai admitted during the interview that someone intercepted the conversation and forwarded it to him, while insisting that such practices were common among governments.
Statements obtained from Aniagolu and Adeyanju were admitted in evidence without objection from the defence and marked as Exhibits C, C1 and E respectively.
Another statement by an Arise TV cameraman, Ugochukwu Agalayana, was admitted as Exhibit D after he reportedly confirmed setting up the recording equipment used for the interview, although he said he did not pay attention to the discussion.
The prosecution witness further told the court that investigators concluded that El-Rufai made what they described as an “open confession” regarding the interception of the NSA’s conversation during the television programme.
He added that the investigation team considered the alleged act capable of threatening national security and subsequently recommended prosecution.
A preliminary investigation report tendered by the prosecution was admitted as Exhibit F.
However, under cross-examination by defence counsel, Chief Paul Erokoro (SAN), the witness admitted that investigators neither examined communication devices belonging to the NSA nor carried out forensic analysis or obtained IP records connected to the alleged interception.
The witness, however, maintained that such procedures were unnecessary after the NSA allegedly confirmed the authenticity of the conversation referenced during the interview.
He also acknowledged that El-Rufai never directly stated that he personally carried out the interception, but insisted that the former governor repeatedly maintained that the conversation had been tapped and forwarded to him.
When asked whether the former governor could merely have been making political statements during a heated television interview, the witness said he believed El-Rufai meant what he said because he regarded him as a man of integrity.
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Following the conclusion of the cross-examination of the first prosecution witness, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik adjourned the matter until June 22 and 23 for continuation of trial.
