A prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, has told a Federal High Court in Abuja that the National Security Adviser confirmed the authenticity of a conversation referenced by the former governor during a television interview.
The witness testified before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik that investigators interviewed the NSA after el-Rufai allegedly claimed in a 43-minute broadcast that a private conversation involving the security chief had been intercepted and forwarded to him.
According to the testimony, the NSA reportedly confirmed that the conversation in question took place between him and the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), a claim also supported by the ICPC chairman after excerpts of the interview were played to him.
The court also heard that the television anchor who conducted the interview, alongside an activist lawyer and a cameraman, were questioned during the investigation. Their statements were tendered and admitted as evidence without objection from the defence.
The witness said investigators viewed el-Rufai’s remarks during the broadcast as an “open confession” suggesting knowledge of intercepted communications, which they argued could pose risks to national security.
However, under cross-examination, the witness admitted that no forensic analysis was carried out on communication devices, nor were IP addresses or technical traces examined during the investigation.
Despite this, the witness maintained that further technical steps were unnecessary, citing the alleged confirmation from the NSA regarding the conversation.
The case was adjourned to June 22 and 23 for continuation of hearing.
