A Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected an application by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, seeking a review of the bail conditions imposed on him in his ongoing alleged wiretapping trial.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, who delivered the ruling on Tuesday, held that the conditions earlier granted by the court were neither excessive nor impossible to meet.
El-Rufai, through his lawyer, Paul Erokoro (SAN), had urged the court to vary some of the conditions, arguing that they were stringent and difficult to fulfil.
The defence particularly challenged the requirement for sureties who are Level 17 civil servants with landed properties in Maitama or Asokoro, Abuja, as well as the demand for verification and attestation letters from the Kaduna State Traditional Council.
Erokoro told the court that the conditions were burdensome and should be reviewed to enable his client perfect his bail.
However, counsel to the Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwole Aladedoye (SAN), opposed the application, arguing that individuals who met the stipulated requirements were available and that there was no justification for altering the court’s earlier order.
In her ruling, Justice Abdulmalik agreed with the prosecution and dismissed the application, noting that qualified civil servants with properties in the specified locations exist and could serve as sureties.
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Meanwhile, the DSS formally closed its case against the former governor during Tuesday’s proceedings.
Aladedoye informed the court that the prosecution would not be calling additional witnesses, prompting the closure of the agency’s case.
Following the development, the defence announced its intention to file a no-case submission, contending that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against El-Rufai.
The defence subsequently requested two weeks to file the application, while the prosecution sought the same period to respond.
Justice Abdulmalik thereafter adjourned the matter until September 22, 2026, for the hearing of the no-case submission and further proceedings in the case.
