The Federal Government has instituted a three-count criminal charge against former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over the alleged interception of phone communications belonging to Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
The charges were filed through the Department of State Services at the Federal High Court in Abuja, following public statements made by El-Rufai during a televised interview in which he claimed that he and other unnamed individuals listened to conversations from Ribadu’s phone after it was tapped by a third party.
In the interview, El-Rufai admitted that such interception was technically unlawful but argued that illegal surveillance was not unusual. However, the Federal Government maintained that his statements amounted to an admission of criminal conduct and constituted serious threats to national security.
According to the charge sheet, the Federal Republic of Nigeria is listed as the complainant, while Mallam Nasir El-Rufai is named as the defendant. The first count alleges that El-Rufai admitted to unlawfully intercepting the phone communications of the National Security Adviser during a live television programme, an offence punishable under the Cybercrimes Amendment Act of 2024.
The second count accuses him of having knowledge of individuals who carried out the illegal interception without reporting them to relevant security agencies, contrary to provisions of the same law.
In the third count, El-Rufai and other persons said to be at large were accused of using technical systems to unlawfully intercept the NSA’s communications in a manner that compromised public safety and national security, in violation of the Nigerian Communications Act.
The government argued that the alleged actions instilled fear and insecurity among Nigerians and posed significant risks to the country’s security architecture.
The development has sparked widespread public debate, with legal analysts describing the case as a major test of Nigeria’s cybercrime and communications laws, particularly in matters involving high-profile political figures.
El-Rufai, who served as governor of Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023, has yet to formally respond to the charges at the time of filing this report.
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