The Federal Government has filed a three-count charge against former Kaduna State Governor, Nasiru El-Rufai over the alleged interception of communications belonging to Nigeria’s National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
In an interview last week, El-Rufai claimed 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 interception is technically unlawful, he argued that illegal surveillance was not unusual.
However, the Federal Government through the Department of State Services arraigned El-Rufai before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
According to the charge sheet obtained by Channels Television on Monday, the government said the former government admitted that he and his cohorts allegedly intercepted the NSA’s phone conversations.
The charge sheet read, “That you, Malla Nasir El-Rufai, adult male, on 13th February 2026, while appearing as a guest on Arise TV’s 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.