A lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, who is the second prosecution witness in the trial of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai over alleged phone tapping of the phone lines of the National Security Adviser and breach of national security, has told the Federal High Court in Abuja that the former governor admitted during a television interview that “we listened to the conversation of the NSA”.

Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Oluwole Aladedoye, Adeyanju confirmed that he knew El-Rufai as a former governor of Kaduna State and recalled issuing a public statement after reports emerged that the former governor was to be arrested by security operatives.

The prosecution tendered the subpoena used to summon the lawyer, which was admitted and marked as Exhibit G.

The court also viewed the interview involving El-Rufai, after which Adeyanju confirmed the recording and the statements allegedly made during the programme.

The prosecution subsequently tendered Adeyanju’s own interview contained in a flash drive alongside a certificate of compliance.

Both were admitted in evidence as Exhibits H and H1.

While giving evidence, Adeyanju told the court that he was later invited by the Department of State Services (DSS), where he was asked to recount what transpired at the television studio.

According to him, he confirmed to investigators that he was present when El-Rufai made the statements on air and that when further questioned during the interview, the former governor stated that someone carried out the phone tapping and passed the information to him.

Under cross-examination by defence counsel, Paul Erokoro, the second prosecution witness stated that while he did not hear El-Rufai specifically say he hacked the phone lines of the NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, he heard him say, “we listened to the conversation of the NSA”.

When asked whether he knew the means through which the NSA makes calls, and if he would be surprised to learn that DSS investigators did not ask the NSA which of his devices was allegedly compromised, he replied that those weren’t his business.

Meanwhile, the prosecution tendered an official gazette without objection from the defence.

The document was admitted and marked as Exhibit I.

The matter was adjourned until June 23 for continuation of trial. (Channels)

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