Dare Babalola
The Federal Government has arraigned former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai before a Federal High Court in Abuja, accusing him of illegally tapping the phone lines of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.
Court documents obtained on Monday indicate that the charges, marked FHC/CR/99/2026, were filed in the name of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as complainant, with the 65-year-old chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) listed as the sole defendant.
The charge sheet is dated February 16, 2026.
The prosecution alleged that El-Rufai made self-incriminating remarks in a televised interview on Arise TV on February 13, 2026, as cited in the court documents.
Count One alleges that the former governor admitted to unlawfully intercepting the phone communications of the NSA, an act said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 12(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024.
In Count Two, prosecutors allege that El-Rufai acknowledged knowing and relating with individuals who allegedly intercepted the NSA’s communications, but failed to report them to relevant security agencies, an offence cited under Section 27(b) of the same Act.
While count three further accuses El-Rufai and “others still at large” of using technical systems that allegedly compromised public safety and national security by unlawfully intercepting the NSA’s phone communications, contrary to Section 131(2) of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.
The charge sheet lists Ernest O.M., Owan O.M., U.M. Bulla, C.S. Eze (PhD), and E.G. Orubor as counsel for the prosecution, acting on behalf of the Department of State Services.
The charges are as follows: “Count one: That you, Mallam Nasir El Rufai, adult, male, on 13th February, 2026, while appearing as a guest on Arise TV Station’s Prime Time Programme in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this court, did admit during the interview that you and your cohorts unlawfully intercepted the Phone Communications of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 12 (1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment, Act, 2024.
“Count two: That you, Mallam Nasir El Rufai, adult, male, on 13th February, 2026, while appearing as a guest on Arise TV Station’s Prime Time Programme in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this court, did state during the interview that you know and relate with certain individual, who unlawfully intercepted the Phone Communications of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, without reporting the said individual to relevant Security agencies and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 27 (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment, Act, 2024.
“Count three: That you, Mallam Nasir El Rufai, adult, male, and other still at large, sometime in 2026, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this court, with others still at large did use technical equipment or systems which compromised public safety, national security and instilling reasonable apprehension of insecurity among Nigerians by unlawfully intercepting the Phone Communications of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to which you admitted during an interview on 13th February, 2026, on Arise TV Station’s Prime Time Programme in Abuja and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 131 (2) Nigerian Communications Act 2003.”
