THE trial of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over alleged phone tapping of the National Security Adviser’s (NSA) phone lines and breach of national security intensified on Monday as the Federal High Court in Abuja admitted key evidence from the Department of State Services (DSS).
A lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, who is the second prosecution witness in the case, told the court that El-Rufai had at a point admitted during a television interview that “we listened to the conversation of the NSA.”
News Point Nigeria reports that Adeyanju, led in evidence by prosecution counsel Oluwole Aladedoye, confirmed that he knew El-Rufai as a former governor of Kaduna State and recalled issuing a public statement after reports surfaced that the ex-governor was to be arrested by security operatives.
The prosecution tendered the subpoena used to summon the witness, which was admitted in evidence and marked as Exhibit G.
The court also played the television interview involving El-Rufai, after which Adeyanju confirmed both the recording and the statements allegedly made during the programme.
Further in proceedings, the prosecution tendered Adeyanju’s own interview contained in a flash drive along with a certificate of compliance, both of which were admitted as Exhibits H and H1.
Adeyanju told the court that he was later invited by the Department of State Services (DSS), where he was asked to recount what transpired at the television studio.
According to him, he confirmed to DSS investigators that he was present when El-Rufai made the statements on air, and further stated that during questioning, the former governor allegedly said someone carried out the phone tapping and relayed the information to him.
Under cross-examination by defence counsel Paul Erokoro, the witness clarified that while he did not hear El-Rufai specifically say he hacked the NSA’s phone lines, Nuhu Ribadu, he did hear him say, “we listened to the conversation of the NSA.”
When asked about the NSA’s communication devices and whether DSS investigators asked which device was allegedly compromised, Adeyanju replied that such matters were not within his concern.
Meanwhile, the prosecution also tendered an official gazette without objection from the defence, and it was admitted and marked as Exhibit I.
The case was subsequently adjourned until June 23 for continuation of trial.
