Alleged National Security Breach: El Rufai Gets N100m bail

The Federal High Court in Abuja, has granted N100 million bail to former Kaduna state governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, in his trial of alleged security breach.

The former governor admitted on national television of wiretapping the National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu.

He is being charged by the Department of State Services (DSS) for allegedly breading national security.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, while delivering ruling on a bail application, imposed a series of stringent conditions to be met by the defendant before perfecting the bail.

The court held that the proposed surety must reside in either Maitama or Asokoro districts of Abuja, and must deposit the original Certificate of Occupancy of a landed property with the court registry.

The surety is also required to be a federal civil servant not below Grade Level 17, and must provide evidence of salary payments for at least three months, authenticated by a letter from the manager of the bank within the jurisdiction of the court.

The court further ordered the surety to depose to an affidavit of means, enter into a bail bond, and submit a recent passport photograph to the court registry.

As part of the bail conditions, El-Rufai is to deposit all valid international passports with the court.

The court also directed that a verification letter from the surety’s immediate department be submitted, alongside a tax clearance certificate covering the last six months.

Justice Abdulmalik further ordered the defendant to report to the headquarters of the DSS every last Friday of the month by 10 a.m. to sign an attendance register pending the determination of the case.

The judge warned that failure to comply would lead to an automatic revocation of the bail.

The court additionally directed the defendant to submit a letter of attestation from the Chairman of the Kaduna State Traditional Council.

The court ordered an accelerated trial.