El-Rufai Pleads Not Guilty as DSS Files Amended Charges in Abuja Court
Nigeria’s Department of State Services has arraigned former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on a five-count amended charge bordering on alleged breaches of national security.
El-Rufai was brought before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja, where he pleaded not guilty to all charges.
At Thursday’s hearing, counsel to the DSS, Oluwole Aladedoye (SAN), informed the court that a revised five-count charge filed on April 13 should replace an earlier three-count charge. Defence counsel, Oluwole Iyamu (SAN), did not oppose the application, and the court subsequently struck out the initial charges.
Following the plea, the prosecution requested three consecutive hearing dates for trial, but the defence objected, citing difficulties in accessing the defendant due to his reported detention by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
The defence also drew attention to a pending bail application filed in February. Proceedings were briefly paused after a supporting affidavit was missing from the court file but resumed once it was located. The DSS indicated it did not oppose the bail request.
In a separate application, the prosecution sought to protect the identities of two witnesses, requesting the use of pseudonyms and exclusion of their names from public records over security concerns. The defence opposed the move, arguing it would violate the constitutional right of the accused to know his accusers and could prejudice the case.
The defence further applied for an order compelling the prosecution to provide proof of evidence, which the DSS opposed, stating the requested documents were not part of filed materials.
Additionally, El-Rufai’s legal team filed a motion to quash the charges, prompting arguments over its timing. While the prosecution insisted such an application cannot be entertained after a plea has been taken, the defence countered on legal grounds.
The court is expected to rule on the pending applications and set dates for the commencement of trial.
