Human rights lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju on Monday testified before the Federal High Court in Abuja in the ongoing trial of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, who is facing charges bordering on alleged breach of national security.
Adeyanju appeared as the second prosecution witness before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, following a subpoena issued by the court.
The Department of State Services (DSS) had instituted the case against El-Rufai over comments he made during a television interview, in which he alleged that he intercepted a telephone conversation involving the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
According to El-Rufai, the alleged conversation contained directives to security operatives to arrest him following his return from Cairo, Egypt, on February 12.
During proceedings, prosecution counsel Oluwole Aladedoye, SAN, tendered the subpoena issued to Adeyanju, which was admitted by the court as Exhibit G without objection from the defence.
While giving evidence, Adeyanju told the court that reports had circulated on February 12 suggesting that El-Rufai could either be arrested or invited for questioning by security agencies.
He recalled appearing on an Arise Television programme on February 13, shortly after El-Rufai had been interviewed on the same platform.
“I went to Arise, and El-Rufai was also on the show. My segment came after his. During his interview, I listened to him speak on many issues, and I countered many of the things he said because they were not true or were half-truths,” Adeyanju told the court.
At the prosecution’s request, the court replayed the television
