The State Security Service on Tuesday accused the family of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai of inciting public opinion against the judiciary over the politician’s detention and bail conditions.
SSS lawyer, Oluwole Aladedoye, made the allegation before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, shortly after the case was called for trial continuation.
Mr Aladedoye told the court that relatives of the former governor had repeatedly used social media and press engagement to portray the prosecution and security agencies as persecuting the defendant.
He cited an incident on May 15 where one of Mr El-Rufai’s wives allegedly arrived at the ICPC’s facility with cameramen and began livestreaming and claiming that her husband was being denied food and access to family members.
The senior lawyer further alleged that a popular politician also published claims, suggesting Mr El-Rufai could be harmed in custody, forcing security operatives to move him to DSS custody to avoid further controversy.
According to the prosecution, the situation escalated when members of the defendant’s family, including two wives and a son, reportedly went to the SSS headquarters with journalists and publicly criticised the court’s bail conditions.
Mr Aladedoye argued that rather than pursue their grievances through legal channels, the family resorted to media campaigns capable of undermining public confidence in the judiciary.
He, therefore, urged the court to caution the defendant and his family against further public attacks, insisting that the matter before the court was a criminal prosecution and not a political persecution.
Responding, defence counsel, E. E. Ekere, said he was unaware of the allegations raised by the prosecution.
Mr Ekere submitted that El-Rufai should not be held responsible for comments made outside the courtroom. He, however, said that the defence team would advise the ex-govenor’s family members and sympathisers to exercise restraint.
The judge, while reacting, stated that she pays no attention to social media narratives.
The judge, who stated that issues circulating online should remain outside courtroom proceedings, directed that the trial should continue.
The prosecution counsel then called the first prosecution witness, identified as APC, to continue his evidence.
Mr Aladedoye then tendered a silver flash drive and a certificate of compliance through the witness, which were admitted as Exhibits B and B1 respectively.
The judge directed that the video recording of interview granted by Mr El-Rufai, which is saved in the flash drive be played in the open court.
The former governor is being prosecuted over alleged breach of national security.
Mr El-Rufai, who was arraigned on April 23 for intercepting the phone conversations of the telephone line of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu pleaded not guilty to the five-count further amended charge.
(NAN)
