𝗗𝗦𝗦 𝗔𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀 𝗲𝗹-𝗥𝘂𝗳𝗮𝗶 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗦𝗔 𝗥𝗶𝗯𝗮𝗱𝘂’𝘀 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲

The Department of State Services (DSS) has arraigned former Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai before a Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged illegal interception of the telephone conversations of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.

The former governor was docked on Thursday, April 23, on a five-count amended charge before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik. He pleaded not guilty to all charges after they were read in court.

The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026, was originally filed by the DSS as a three-count charge but has since been amended to five counts .

The prosecution, led by Oluwole Aladeloye (SAN), alleges that el-Rufai violated provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, and the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003 .

According to the charges, the alleged offences stem from comments el-Rufai made during an appearance on Arise TV’s Prime Time Programme on February 13, 2026 .

Court documents state that during the live broadcast, el-Rufai admitted that he and others unlawfully intercepted the NSA’s phone communications.

Specifically, the former governor claimed he overheard Ribadu directing security operatives to detain him, an allegation he linked to an attempted arrest at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport .

The prosecution argues that by making these statements, el-Rufai admitted complicity in a cybercrime, an offence contrary to Section 12(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024 .

The former governor is also accused of failing to report the individual responsible for the alleged interception to security agencies, an offence under Section 27(b) of the same Act .

Additionally, the DSS alleges that el-Rufai and others still at large used technical equipment to intercept the NSA’s calls, thereby endangering public safety and national security and instilling “reasonable apprehension” among Nigerians — an allegation that, they say, breaches Section 131(2) of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003 .

The journey to Thursday’s arraignment faced delays. The court had initially fixed February 25, 2026, for the former governor to take his plea.

However, the arraignment was stalled on that date due to el-Rufai’s absence, as he was in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over an unrelated investigation .

Justice Abdulmalik subsequently rescheduled the arraignment for April 23 .

At Thursday’s proceedings, shortly after el-Rufai entered his not-guilty plea, the hearing was briefly interrupted during his bail application. Justice Abdulmalik observed that a document referenced by the defence counsel, Oluwole Iyamu (SAN), was not included in the court file . Iyamu requested time to properly file the document, a request the prosecution did not oppose. The judge stood down the matter to allow the defence to address the issue, with proceedings on the bail application expected to resume once the document is properly filed .

Both el-Rufai and Ribadu are key figures in Nigeria’s political landscape. El-Rufai, a former FCT minister and governor of Kaduna State, has been an outspoken critic of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. Ribadu, a former presidential candidate and anti-corruption czar, currently serves as the National Security Adviser.