The Federal Government has arraigned former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, on an amended five-count charge bordering on alleged breach of national security.

He was docked before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, where he pleaded not guilty to all the counts.

At the proceedings, prosecution counsel, Oluwole Aladedoye (SAN), informed the court that the matter was slated for the defendant’s plea but disclosed that a further amended five-count charge filed on April 13 had superseded the earlier three-count charge.

He urged the court to adopt the new charge, a position not opposed by defence counsel, Oluwole Iyamu (SAN). The court, subsequently, struck out the initial charge.

Following the plea, the prosecution applied for three consecutive trial dates.

The defence opposed the request, arguing that the defendant’s custody with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) could make access within such a tight schedule difficult.

Iyamu also drew the court’s attention to a pending bail application filed on February 17.

Although an accompanying further affidavit was initially missing from the court file, proceedings were stood down to enable its regularisation.

Upon resumption, the document was located, and the prosecution indicated it was not opposing bail.

The prosecution further sought an order to shield the identities of two key witnesses, requesting that their names be excluded from public records and that pseudonyms be adopted during trial, citing security concerns for the witnesses and their families.

The defence opposed the application, insisting that the accused has a constitutional right to know his accusers, arguing that no evidence had been presented to justify such a protective measure.

It warned that granting anonymity could prejudice the defendant.

In addition, the defence requested that the prosecution furnish it with proof of evidence to facilitate trial preparation, a move opposed by the prosecution because the materials sought were not part of its filed processes.

The defence also filed an application to quash the charge, prompting legal arguments from the prosecution that such an application is incompetent after a plea has been taken. Both sides adopted their written addresses on the issue.

Justice Abdulmalik, thereafter, adjourned the matter to May 18, 19 and 20 for hearing.

In the amended charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026, the Federal Government accused el-Rufai of offences, including unlawful interception of communications, unauthorised access to classified information, and acts alleged to have compromised national security.

The prosecution claimed that the offences relate to the alleged interception of communications linked to the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, and said to constitute Critical National Information Infrastructure.