Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have taken custody of Nasir El-Rufai following proceedings at the Federal High Court in Kaduna.
El-Rufai was brought to court on Wednesday by officials of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for the hearing of his bail application.
However, DSS operatives took him into custody after the court reserved its ruling on the bail request until April 14.
Fraud and money laundering charges
The former Kaduna governor and a co-defendant, Joel Adoga, were arraigned by the ICPC on March 24 on charges bordering on alleged fraud and money laundering.
Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges during the court proceedings.
Speaking with journalists after the hearing, El-Rufai’s lead counsel, Oluwole Iyamu, expressed optimism about the outcome of the bail application.
“The bail application was argued and responded to, and the ruling has been fixed for April 14. We look forward to that day. We are hopeful,” Iyamu said.
“We have put our arguments before the court, and this is a court of justice. We await the decision of the court.
Iyamu also confirmed that a separate case involving the DSS against El-Rufai is scheduled for April 10 at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
According to the lawyer, the defence team has completed all necessary filings ahead of the hearing.
“That is a separate matter. As lawyers, we are ready. We have filed all necessary processes and will be in court. That is the DSS matter,” he added.
Alleged phone interception
In February, the DSS filed a three-count charge against the former governor over alleged unlawful interception of a telephone conversation.
The allegation followed remarks El-Rufai made during an interview on Arise Television’s programme Prime Time.
During the interview, El-Rufai claimed that someone had wiretapped the phone of Nuhu Ribadu, allowing him to listen to instructions allegedly given to security operatives regarding his arrest.
The court is expected to rule on the bail application on April 14 as legal proceedings in the matter continue.
