Phone Tapping Charges: Tight Security as SSS Arraigns Nasir El-Rufai in Abuja
Security presence was visibly reinforced on Tuesday at the Federal High Court as the State Security Service prepared to arraign former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai on charges bordering on cybercrime and alleged breaches of national security.
Court documents indicate that the former governor is to take his plea before trial judge Joyce Abdulmalik on a three-count charge filed by the SSS. The matter, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026, was listed as number 14 on the court’s cause list for the day. The case was assigned to Justice Abdulmalik by the Chief Judge, John Tsoho.
According to the charge sheet, the allegations arise from comments Mr El-Rufai reportedly made during a live interview on Arise TV on 13 February. In that appearance, he allegedly stated that he had listened to a phone conversation involving the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
Prosecutors allege that the statement amounts to an admission of unlawful interception of private communications, contrary to provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024. A second count accuses the former governor of failing to report an individual allegedly involved in the interception to relevant authorities. The third count alleges the use of technical systems that compromised public safety and national security, contrary to the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.
Security operatives maintained a heightened presence around Court 6, where the case is expected to be heard, although proceedings had not commenced as of the time of reporting, and Mr El-Rufai had yet to be brought before the court.
The allegations follow an earlier claim by Mr El-Rufai that the intercepted call contained an instruction by the NSA for his detention. He linked this claim to an attempted arrest at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on 12 February, after his return from Cairo, Egypt.
Separately, the former governor has filed an application asking the court to strike out the charges, arguing that they are incompetent, disclose no offence known to law, and amount to an abuse of court process.
Mr El-Rufai, a public critic of President Bola Tinubu, has in recent weeks faced actions by multiple anti-corruption agencies. He was first detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and later arrested by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission. While in ICPC custody, officials searched his Abuja residence, an action he has challenged in a separate ₦1 billion lawsuit alleging unlawful entry.
Legal observers note that the unfolding proceedings raise significant questions about the interpretation of cybercrime laws, the boundaries of national security enforcement, and the rights of individuals under investigation.
