Nasir el-Rufai was again back in court on Thursday, facing a newly expanded five-count charge filed by the Department of State Service (DSS).
The former Kaduna State Governor and ex-FCT minister is accused of accessing the phone conversations of NSA Nuhu Ribadu—a charge he flatly denied before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.
While the case originally centered on three counts, prosecutors confirmed at the Federal High Court in Abuja that the indictment has been formally amended to include two additional charges.
The judge immediately struck out the earlier charge sheet, allowing the case to proceed on the fresh counts.
El-Rufai, who appeared in court, maintained his innocence on all five counts.
Persecondnews reports that the charges stem from remarks the ex-governor made in February on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme.
During the interview, el-Rufai claimed Ribadu’s phone had been wiretapped, enabling him to overhear the NSA directing security operatives to effect his arrest.
“He made the call because we listened to their calls,” el-Rufai said at the time.
“The government thinks they are the only ones that listen to calls but we also have our ways. He made the call and gave the order.”
He added: “Someone tapped his phone. The government listens to our calls all the time without a court order. Someone tapped his phone and told us that he gave the order.”
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