The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday replayed an Arise Television interview granted by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, as human rights lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, testified in the alleged phone-tapping case filed against the former governor by the State Security Service.
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Adeyanju appeared before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik as the second prosecution witness in the trial.
The SSS is prosecuting El-Rufai over claims he allegedly made during the February 13, 2026 Arise Television programme, where he was said to have alleged that a telephone conversation involving the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, was intercepted.
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Oluwole Aladedoye, SAN, Adeyanju told the court that he watched El-Rufai’s interview and that the recording accurately reflected what he witnessed on the programme.
He recalled that on February 12, reports had emerged that El-Rufai might either be arrested or invited by security agencies following his return from Cairo, Egypt.
Adeyanju said he publicly advised the former governor to honour any invitation from security agencies, stressing that he did not consider the matter politically motivated.
According to him, both he and El-Rufai appeared on Arise Television on February 13, although his own segment came after the former governor’s interview.
“I went to Arise, and El-Rufai was also on the show. My segment came after his. During his interview, I listened to him speak on many issues, and I countered many of the things he said because they were not true or were half-truths,” Adeyanju told the court.
He further testified that after the programme, he was invited by the SSS and made a statement on what he heard during El-Rufai’s interview.
“I confirmed that El-Rufai said that someone tapped and gave him the information. I put all that into writing,” he said.
Following an application by the prosecution, the court replayed the interview earlier tendered during the testimony of the first prosecution witness.
After watching the video in open court, Adeyanju confirmed that it reflected what he witnessed during the February 13 broadcast.
The prosecution also tendered the subpoena that summoned Adeyanju to testify. The document was admitted in evidence and marked as Exhibit G after defence counsel, Paul Erokoro, SAN, raised no objection.
Aladedoye further tendered a recording of Adeyanju’s own interview on the programme, together with a certificate of compliance. The flash drive and certificate were admitted and marked as Exhibits H and H1.
In the recorded interview, Adeyanju said that if the government had intended to arrest El-Rufai, the SSS would have done so at the airport.
He also referred to reports that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission was investigating the former governor, adding that El-Rufai should be investigated for alleged corruption and prosecuted only after the conclusion of investigations.
Adeyanju also described the former governor as an “ardent violator of human rights” and described his current predicament as “karma.”
During cross-examination, Erokoro asked Adeyanju whether he heard El-Rufai expressly say in the interview that he tapped a telephone call.
Responding, Adeyanju said El-Rufai stated, “We listened to their calls.”
He added that if someone claimed a telephone call had been hacked, he would report the matter because he did not know how such an act was carried out.
The witness, however, said he had no knowledge of whether the National Security Adviser conducted telephone conversations in a manner that allowed other people to listen. He maintained that he only appeared before the court because he was summoned.
Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the matter until June 23, 2026, for continuation of trial.
The SSS had filed a five-count charge against El-Rufai in February after he allegedly claimed during the Arise Television interview that he intercepted a telephone conversation involving Ribadu, which purportedly revealed plans by security operatives to arrest him.
El-Rufai was arraigned on April 23, 2026, pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail in the sum of N100 million.
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