The Federal Government has instituted charges against the former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.
The case, numbered FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026, was lodged at the Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division, with the Federal Republic of Nigeria listed as the complainant and El-Rufai as the defendant.
Court documents obtained online indicate that the prosecution alleged that on February 13, 2026, during an appearance on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme in Abuja, El-Rufai acknowledged that he and others unlawfully intercepted the phone communications of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
In the first count, the Federal Government contends that this admission constitutes an offence under Section 12(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, and is punishable under the same provision.
The second count states that El-Rufai declared in the same interview that he was aware of and associated with individuals who illegally intercepted Ribadu’s phone communications but did not notify the appropriate security authorities, in violation of Section 27(b) of the Cybercrimes Amendment Act, 2024.
The third count alleges that El-Rufai and others still at large, at some point in 2026 in Abuja, deployed technical devices or systems to unlawfully intercept the National Security Adviser’s phone communications, an action said to have endangered public safety and national security, contrary to Section 131(2) of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.
The charge in count three is stated to be contrary to and punishable under Section 131(2) of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.
As at the time this report was filed, no date had been scheduled for El-Rufai’s arraignment.
Details later…
