The trail of the former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai took a dramatic turn on Tuesday as prosecution accused members of his family of allegedly weaponizing the media and attempting to incite public opinion against the judiciary over his detention and bail conditions.
The lead prosecuting counsel, Oluwole Aladedoye, told the court that relatives of the former Governor had repeatedly used social media and press engagements to portray the prosecution and security agencies as persecuting the defendant.
The prosecution cited an incident on May 15 where one of El-Rufai’s wives allegedly arrived at the ICPC facility with cameramen and began livestreaming, claiming that her husband was being denied food and access to family members.
Aladedoye further alleged that politician, Timi Frank, also published claims suggesting the former Governor could be harmed in custody, forcing security operatives to move him to DSS custody to avoid further controversy.
According to the prosecution, the situation escalated when members of the defendant’s family, including two wives and a son, reportedly went to the DSS headquarters with journalists and publicly criticized the court’s bail conditions.
Aladedoye argued that rather than pursuing legal channels, the family resorted to media campaigns capable of undermining public confidence in the judiciary.
The prosecution, therefore, urged the court to caution the defendant and his family against further public attacks, insisting that the matter before the court was a criminal prosecution and not a political persecution.
Responding, defence counsel said he was unaware of the allegations raised by the prosecution and maintained that the defendant himself should not be held responsible for comments made outside the courtroom.
He, however, noted that the defence would advise family members and sympathizers to exercise restraint.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, while reacting, stated that she paid no attention to social media narratives and stressed that issues circulating online should remain outside courtroom proceedings.
The judge subsequently directed that the trial continue.
Proceedings later resumed with the prosecution tendering a silver flash drive and a certificate of compliance, admitted as Exhibits B and B1 respectively.
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