The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed October 26, 2026, to rule on Nasir El-Rufai’s no-case submission. The former Kaduna governor faces trial over alleged unlawful interception of telephone communication.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik fixed the date after both sides adopted their arguments on the application. El-Rufai’s defence wants the court to end the case without requiring him to testify.
During Tuesday’s hearing, prosecution counsel Oluwole Aladedoye, SAN, said the defence was expected to adopt its no-case submission. However, El-Rufai’s lawyer, Akinyemi Aremu, said lead counsel Paul Erokoro, SAN, was still on his way. He asked the court to stand the matter down. Justice Abdulmalik rejected the request, saying,
“I do not do stand-downs.”
The defence then asked Ekere to handle the proceedings. Ekere sought more time to regularise El-Rufai’s no-case submission. The judge granted the request and deemed the processes properly filed and served. Ekere then adopted the submission and urged the court to discharge El-Rufai. He argued that the prosecution had not shown a prima facie case against the former governor.
However, the prosecution asked the court to reject the application. Aladedoye urged Justice Abdulmalik to order El-Rufai to open his defence. He argued that the defence had not addressed Exhibit B, which he described as El-Rufai’s confession.
“If they had averred it, they won’t make the no-case submission,” he said.
The court will now decide on October 26 whether El-Rufai has a case to answer.
