By Abdullateef Bamigbose
Human rights activist and legal expert, Barrister Hamza N. Dantani, has raised concerns over reported attempts by security operatives to arrest Nasir El-Rufai, the immediate past governor of Kaduna State, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, following comments he made during an interview on Arise Television.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Monday he said the incident raises “serious legal and constitutional concerns,” particularly as it involves the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
“The recent development involving former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, raises serious legal and constitutional concerns,” Dantani said.
He was reacting to El-Rufai’s claim during Prime Time on Arise Television that he had access to an intercepted phone conversation in which Ribadu allegedly instructed security operatives to arrest him.
“If this statement is indeed true, it triggers profound national security and legal implications. However, if it is untrue or fabricated, it equally demands lawful and professional investigation,” Dantani stated. “What must not happen in a constitutional democracy is the weaponization of the criminal justice system for political vendetta or witch-hunting.”
Dantani stressed that criminal prosecution must be evidence-led, noting that “he who asserts must prove,” and that the burden of proof lies with the prosecution. According to him, “before any charge is filed, there must be a credible investigation, collection of admissible evidence, and documented statements capable of sustaining a conviction beyond a reasonable doubt.”
He added that a media interview does not amount to a legal confession and warned that charging an individual without “painstaking investigation and extraction of evidence” could cause the case to collapse at trial.
“Criminal litigation is not a media contest; it is an evidentiary exercise governed by strict legal standards,” he said.
Dantani also faulted what he described as defects in the charges reportedly filed, arguing that allegations of unlawful interception and threats to national security require technical, digital and forensic evidence, not assumptions drawn from televised remarks.
“There is a growing perception that, in some politically sensitive cases, prosecution is less about securing a conviction and more about subjecting defendants to the rigours of arraignment, remand, and a prolonged trial,” he warned, adding that such practices undermine public confidence in the justice system.
According to him, if El-Rufai’s claims are false and injurious to national security, the appropriate step would be a formal petition and a comprehensive investigation. “If the investigation establishes a prima facie case, prosecution should follow firmly, lawfully, and transparently,” he said.
He concluded that the matter goes beyond the individuals involved and speaks to the integrity of Nigeria’s criminal justice system. “The law must not be stretched to fit political narratives. Prosecution must not precede investigation. Allegations must not substitute evidence,” Dantani said.
