The Federal Government of Nigeria has filed a three-count criminal charge against former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, accusing him of unlawfully intercepting the phone communications of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu. The charges, filed on Monday by the Department of State Services (DSS) at the Federal High Court in Abuja, come just days after El-Rufai claimed on national television that he had listened to intercepted calls of the country’s top security chief.
The legal action stems from a February 13, 2026, interview on Arise TV, where El-Rufai alleged that he was aware of an order for his arrest because “someone tapped” Ribadu’s phone. During the broadcast, El-Rufai stated, “He [Ribadu] made the call because we listen to their calls. The government thinks they are the only ones that listen to calls, but we also have our ways.” Although he acknowledged that such wire-tapping is technically illegal, he argued that the government routinely monitors citizens’ communications without warrants.
In the first count of suit FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026, the government alleges that El-Rufai’s admission constitutes an offense under Section 12(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, which carries a potential two-year prison sentence. The second count accuses him of failing to report the individuals responsible for the interception, while the third count alleges the use of technical equipment in a manner that compromised national security, a violation of the Nigerian Communications Act.
The filing of these charges coincided with El-Rufai’s detention by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) late Monday night. The former governor was reportedly grilled for over eight hours regarding a separate N432 billion corruption probe initiated by the Kaduna State House of Assembly. Protesters gathered at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja, with some demanding his immediate prosecution and others carrying placards in his support, signaling deep political divisions as El-Rufai continues his transition into a prominent critic of the Tinubu administration.
