The Federal Government has brought a three-count charge against former Kaduna State Governor Nasiru El-Rufai for allegedly intercepting communications of Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.
El-Rufai, in a recent interview, admitted that he and other unnamed individuals listened to conversations from Ribadu’s phone after it had been tapped by a third party. While acknowledging that such activity is technically unlawful, he claimed that illegal surveillance was not uncommon.
The Department of State Services (DSS) subsequently arraigned El-Rufai before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
According to the charge sheet obtained by Channels Television, the government stated that El-Rufai admitted to unlawfully intercepting the NSA’s phone conversations. The document reads:
“That you, Malla Nasir El-Rufai, adult male, on 13th February 2026, while appearing as a guest on Arise TV’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.”
