DSS to arraign El-Rufai on Feb. 25 over alleged NSA phone interception

The Department of State Services (DSS) has fixed February 25 for the arraignment of Nasir El-Rufai, former Kaduna State governor, over alleged violations of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc…) Amendment Act, 2024, and the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.

The case will be heard by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, following its assignment by the Chief Judge, Justice John Tsoho.

Court documents show that the DSS filed a three-count charge against El-Rufai, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026, alleging the unlawful interception of telephone communications belonging to Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser (NSA).

In the first count, the prosecution alleged that the former governor, during a February 13 appearance on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme in Abuja, admitted that he and others intercepted the NSA’s telephone communications without lawful authority, an offence said to be punishable under Section 12(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024.

Read also: ICPC raids el-Rufai’s Abuja residence as investigations deepen

The second count alleged that El-Rufai acknowledged knowledge of, and association with, an individual involved in the alleged interception but failed to report the matter to security agencies, contrary to Section 27(b) of the same Act.

The third charge claimed that in 2026, in Abuja, the former governor and others still at large deployed technical equipment to intercept the NSA’s communications in a manner said to have compromised public safety and national security, contrary to Section 131(2) of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.

The charges followed comments made by El-Rufai during the live television interview, in which he claimed to have overheard Ribadu directing security operatives to detain him.

Read also: El-Rufai spends second night in EFCC as agency considers remand order

He linked the alleged directive to what he described as an attempted arrest at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on February 12, shortly after returning from Cairo, Egypt.

The arraignment comes amid mounting legal challenges for the former governor. He was earlier detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over separate allegations of corruption.

Although he was granted administrative bail on Wednesday evening, he was subsequently taken into custody by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

Confirming the development, ICPC spokesperson John Odey said in a message shared with journalists that El-Rufai “is in the custody of the commission in connection with ongoing investigations.”