The Department of State Services (DSS) has scheduled February 25 for the arraignment of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai over alleged breaches of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, and the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.
The case, assigned by Chief Judge Justice John Tsoho, will be heard by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court.
Court documents show that the DSS filed a three-count charge against El-Rufai, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026, accusing him of unlawfully intercepting the telephone communications of National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu.
In the first count, the prosecution alleges that during a February 13 interview on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme in Abuja, El-Rufai admitted that he and others intercepted the NSA’s communications without lawful authority, an offence punishable under Section 12(1) of the Cybercrimes Act.
The second count claims that El-Rufai knowingly associated with an individual involved in the interception but failed to report the matter to security agencies, contrary to Section 27(b) of the same Act.
The third charge states that in 2026, in Abuja, El-Rufai and others still at large used technical equipment to intercept the NSA’s communications in a way that allegedly compromised public safety and national security, violating Section 131(2) of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.
The charges follow comments made by El-Rufai during the television interview, in which he said he overheard Ribadu directing security operatives to detain him. He linked the alleged directive to an attempted arrest at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on February 12, shortly after returning from Cairo, Egypt.
The arraignment comes as El-Rufai faces multiple legal challenges. He was earlier detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over separate corruption allegations. Although granted administrative bail on Wednesday evening, he was immediately taken into custody by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
ICPC spokesperson John Odey confirmed the development, stating that El-Rufai “is in the custody of the commission in connection with ongoing investigations.”
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