The Department of State Services (DSS) has charged former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, with cybercrimes and breaching communications laws after he allegedly admitted to involvement in bugging the phone of the National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu.
The three-count indictment, filed on Monday at the federal high court in Abuja under case number FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026, accuses El-Rufai of unlawfully intercepting Ribadu’s communications.
The charges stem from statements the former Governor made on 13 February during a live TV interview in Abuja.
The first count alleges that El-Rufai admitted he and unnamed associates intercepted NSA Ribadu’s phone calls, violating section 12(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Amendment Act 2024.
A second charge claims he knew of individuals involved in the interception but failed to report them to security agencies, contravening section 27(b) of the same act.
The third count accuses El-Rufai and others, still at large, of using technical equipment in 2026 to compromise national security by tapping Ribadu’s line—an offence under section 131(2) of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003.
El-Rufai, a prominent critic of President Bola Tinubu’s administration and a former Minister under Olusegun Obasanjo, has not publicly responded to the charges.
NewsQuest reports that the case highlights deepening political tensions in the country amid accusations of surveillance and state overreach.
