- The Department of State Services has fixed February 25 for the arraignment of Nasir El-Rufai at the Federal High Court, Abuja
- The three-count charge was filed over alleged unlawful interception of NSA phone communications
- The allegations stem from statements made during an ARISE TV Prime Time interview
The Department of State Services (DSS) has scheduled February 25 for the arraignment of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, before the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations bordering on cybercrime and breach of national security.
The three-count charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026, was assigned to Justice Joyce Abdulmalik by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, who fixed the arraignment date.
According to court documents filed on Monday, February 16, the DSS accused El-Rufai of unlawfully intercepting telephone communications belonging to the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
The agency alleged that the actions contravene provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, and the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.
In the first count, the DSS claimed that on February 13, 2026, while appearing as a guest on ARISE TV’s Prime Time programme in Abuja, El-Rufai allegedly admitted during a live interview that he and others intercepted the NSA’s phone communications. The offence is said to be punishable under Section 12(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024.
The second count accuses the former governor of stating during the same television interview that he knew and had dealings with an individual who unlawfully intercepted the NSA’s phone lines but failed to report the matter to relevant security authorities.
The DSS said this alleged act is punishable under Section 27(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024.
During the live interview, El-Rufai had claimed he overheard Ribadu instructing security operatives to detain him.
He linked the alleged directive to what he described as an attempted arrest at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on February 12, shortly after his return from Cairo, Egypt.
The former governor was later granted administrative bail around 8 p.m. on Wednesday, February 18, after being questioned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged N432 billion fraud case.
However, reports indicate that he was subsequently taken into custody by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) shortly after his release.