A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a no-case submission filed by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over the alleged unlawful interception of telephone conversations involving the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, in a ruling on Monday, held that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to require El-Rufai to defend himself against the five-count amended charge filed by the Department of State Services.

The judge consequently ordered the former governor to open his defence and adjourned the case until November 25, 2026.El-Rufai had filed the no-case submission after the Federal Government closed its case following the testimony of two prosecution witnesses.

Through his counsel, Paul Erokoro, he urged the court to discharge and acquit him, arguing that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against him.Erokoro maintained that the evidence presented was insufficient to compel his client to enter a defence.

However, prosecution counsel, Oluwole Aladedoye, urged the court to dismiss the application, insisting that the oral and documentary evidence before it was sufficient to require the former governor to respond to the allegations.

The charges arose from an interview El-Rufai granted on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme in February 2026, during which he alleged that Ribadu’s telephone conversation had been intercepted.

During the interview, the former governor claimed that someone had wiretapped the NSA’s phone, allowing him to listen to a conversation in which Ribadu allegedly instructed security operatives to arrest him.

The allegation subsequently formed the basis of the DSS prosecution.With the dismissal of his no-case submission, El-Rufai is expected to present his defence when the case resumes on November 25, 2026.