Govment sama Nasir El-Rufai amended five-count charges for alleged phone tapping of NSA
Di Department of State Services (DSS) don sama new five-count charges on top di former govnor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, on top accuse say e tap di phone lines of di National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
For February dis year, El-Rufai bin admit for one TV interview say e get knowledge say pesin tap di NSA phone lines, and na dat pesin tell am say di NSA dey behind di plot to arrest am.
E defend di legality of di phone tapping, as e tok say "di govment dey do am all di time. Dem dey listen to our calls witout court order".
Di arraignment take place for di Federal High Court dis Thursday bifor Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.
Wen dem call di case for court, counsel to di DSS, Oluwole Aladedoye (SAN) tell di court say di mata na for di defendant to take im plea, but dem don amend di charges from three to five, and dem file di amended charges on April 13.
Counsel to El-Rufai, Oluwole Iyamu (SAN), say e don get di amended charges and e no get any objection.
As dem read di charges, El-Rufai plead not guilty.
Following di plea, di DSS counsel ask di court to fix three days back to back for di trial, but El-Rufai lawyer oppose am as e tok say im client still dey for di custody of di Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), and e fit dey difficult for dem to prepare adequately within di three days of trial.
Iyamu also tell di court say dem don file bail application for im client, and di DSS lawyer say im no go oppose di bail application.
However, di DSS beg di court to give order to hide di identities of di two witnesses wey dem go call for di trial, bicos according to am, supporters of El-Rufai fit attack di families of di witnesses.
Aladedoye beg di court say make di identities of di witnesses no appear for public court records, and make di court use pseudonyms to replace di real names of di witnesses during di trial.
But El-Rufai lawyer tell di court say no evidence dey bifor di court wey show di former govnor get cult-like followership wey go pose threat to families of witnesses.
"Di defendant don dedicate im life to public service and granting a blanket anonymity order fit create serious prejudice against am," Iyamu tok.
Di defence counsel also tell di court say im don also file application to stop di charge, but di prosecution counsel argue say application to quash a charge no fit come up again afta defendant don take im plea.
Aladedoye say im don file written address to ask di court to dismiss di application for lacking merit.
Afta di arguments, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik adjourn di mata to 18, 19, and 20 of May for continuation.
Di charges against El-Rufai
Count one: Say El-Rufai unlawfully and intentionally interfere wit di communication of di National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and dis na crime punishable under section 5(1) of di Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention) Act of 2024.
Dis offence carry a maximum punishment of 10 years witout option of fine.
Count two: Say El-Rufai witout authorisation, intentionally secure access to classified information by di NSA, and dis na offence contrary to section 6(2) of di Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention) Act of 2024.
Pesin wey court find guilty of dis offence dey face seven years imprisonment or fine of seven million naira, or both.
Count three: Say El-Rufai intentionally and witout authorisation intercept di communications of di NSA, and dis na violation of section 12(1) of di Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention) Act of 2024. Two years in prison or fine of five million naira, or both, na im pesin fit chop if court convict am of dis offence.
Count four: Say El-Rufai know, aid, abet, procure or relate wit individual wey unlawfully intercept wit di communications of di NSA, and dis offence dey against section 27(1)(b) of di Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention) Act of 2024.
To aid or abet pesin wey commit cybercrime carry di same punishment as di pesin wey actually commit di offence.
Count five: Say El-Rufai bin use technical equipment or system wey compromise public safety, national security, and put reasonable apprehension of insecurity among Nigerians, as e unlawfully intercept di communications of di NSA.
Di offence violate section 131(2) of di Nigeria Communications Act of 2003, and e carry punishment of one year in prison or one million naira fine, or both.
