The Department of State Services on Thursday arraigned former Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai on a five-count amended charge bordering on alleged breach of national security.
el-Rufai was docked before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, and pleaded not guilty to all counts.
DSS counsel Oluwole Aladedoye, SAN, told the court the case was slated for plea.
He said a further amended five-count charge filed on April 13 would replace the initial three-count charge and asked the court to substitute it.
el-Rufai’s lawyer, Oluwole Iyamu, SAN, said he had been served and did not oppose the amendment.
Justice Abdulmalik struck out the earlier three-count charge.
After the charges were read, el-Rufai pleaded not guilty. Aladedoye requested three consecutive trial dates.
Iyamu objected, saying the defendant is in the custody of the ICPC and access to him during three straight days of trial “might be difficult.”
He also drew the court’s attention to a bail application filed on February 17.
The judge stood down the matter because the further affidavit supporting the bail was missing from the court file, directing Iyamu to regularise it.
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