DSS lawyer accuses El-Rufai’s family of media pressure on court

At the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, lawyers in the trial involving former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai clashed over claims that members of his family were using media campaigns to influence public opinion and attack the judiciary during proceedings linked to allegations of national security violations.

During the resumed hearing, the Federal Government’s lead lawyer, Oluwole Aladedoye, told the court that relatives of the former governor had repeatedly used social media platforms and public appearances to present the prosecution and security agencies as unfairly targeting El-Rufai.

The prosecution referred to an incident said to have taken place on May 15 when one of El-Rufai’s wives reportedly visited the ICPC facility with cameramen and made public claims concerning his treatment in custody. The government lawyer also linked political activist Timi Frank to statements suggesting danger to the former governor while in detention.

According to the prosecution, the growing public attention later forced security officials to transfer El-Rufai to the custody of the Department of State Services to avoid further controversy surrounding the case.

The lawyer further informed the court that some family members, including two wives and a son of the former governor, later appeared at the DSS headquarters with journalists and publicly criticised the bail conditions earlier granted by the court.

The prosecution argued that instead of relying on legal procedures, the defendant’s supporters had chosen media pressure capable of affecting public trust in the judicial process. The court was therefore asked to caution El-Rufai and those close to him against further public comments relating to the case.

In response, defence counsel stated that the allegations raised by the prosecution were not previously known to the defence team. The lawyer also maintained that the former governor should not be blamed for comments or actions made by other individuals outside the courtroom.

However, the defence promised to advise supporters and family members to avoid actions that could create more tension around the matter.

Presiding judge Joyce Abdulmalik told both parties that social media discussions would not affect the court’s work and directed that the trial should continue without distractions from online narratives.

The hearing later moved to the presentation of evidence by the prosecution, including a silver flash drive and a certificate of compliance admitted as exhibits before the court.

The court then reviewed the contents of the device, which reportedly contained an interview granted by El-Rufai to Arise News Television.