THE trial of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over allegations bordering on treason and breach of national security resumed on Monday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, with the prosecution presenting evidence aimed at supporting claims that the former governor received an intercepted private conversation involving the National Security Adviser (NSA).
News Point Nigeria reports that during proceedings before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, the prosecution played a 43-minute television interview featuring El-Rufai, in which he allegedly stated that someone had wiretapped a conversation involving the National Security Adviser and forwarded it to him.
According to the prosecution, El-Rufai was also heard defending the alleged interception during the interview, arguing that governments routinely monitor communications.
A prosecution witness told the court that investigators subsequently interviewed the National Security Adviser, who verbally confirmed that the conversation referenced by El-Rufai had indeed taken place between him and the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The witness further stated that the ICPC Chairman equally confirmed holding such a discussion with the NSA after portions of the television interview were played to him.
According to the prosecution witness, investigators also invited television anchor Charles Aniagolu, activist-lawyer Deji Adeyanju, and a cameraman for questioning as part of the investigation.
Aniagolu reportedly confirmed that El-Rufai admitted during the interview that someone intercepted the conversation and passed it to him, while also maintaining that governments regularly engage in such practices.
The prosecution tendered statements obtained from Aniagolu and Adeyanju, which were admitted by the court without objection from the defence as Exhibits C, C1 and E respectively.
Another statement from the cameraman, Ugochukwu Agalayana, was admitted as Exhibit D after he confirmed setting up the equipment used during the interview, although he said he did not pay attention to the content of the discussion itself.
The prosecution witness told the court that investigators concluded that El-Rufai made what they described as an “open confession” during the television interview regarding the interception of the NSA’s conversation.
The witness added that the investigation team considered the act capable of undermining national security and subsequently recommended prosecution.
A preliminary investigation report tendered by the prosecution was admitted by the court as Exhibit F.
Under cross-examination by defence counsel, Paul Erokoro, the witness acknowledged that investigators neither examined any communication devices belonging to the NSA nor obtained IP addresses or carried out forensic analysis relating to the alleged interception.
The witness, however, insisted that such steps became unnecessary after the NSA reportedly confirmed the authenticity of the conversation referenced in the interview.
He also admitted that El-Rufai never expressly stated during the broadcast that he personally carried out the interception, but maintained that the former governor repeatedly stood by the claim that the conversation had been tapped and forwarded to him.
When asked whether El-Rufai could merely have been boasting during a politically charged television appearance, the witness replied that he regarded the former governor as “a person of integrity” and believed he meant what he said during the interview.
Following the conclusion of the cross-examination of the first prosecution witness, Justice Abdulmalik adjourned further hearing in the matter until June 22 and 23.