The Department of State Services (DSS) has filed three criminal charges against former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, accusing him of cybercrime and threats to national security.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, El-Rufai will appear in the Federal High Court in Abuja on February 25. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik set the date after the case was assigned to her by the court’s Chief Judge, John Tsoho.
The DSS, also called Nigeria’s secret police, claims that El-Rufai illegally tapped the phone of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. Court papers say that during a February 13 appearance on Arise TV’s Prime Time program, the former governor admitted that he and his associates intercepted the NSA’s phone calls.
The charges say this is a violation of the Cybercrimes Amendment Act of 2024.
In another charge, El-Rufai allegedly said in the same TV interview that he knew someone else had tapped the NSA’s phone but did not report it to the authorities. This is also against the 2024 cybercrime law.
The third charge claims that in 2026, El-Rufai and others used technical tools to interfere with national security by tapping the NSA’s communications, breaking the Nigerian Communications Act of 2003.
During the interview, El-Rufai said he overheard Ribadu ordering his arrest. He linked this to an alleged attempt to detain him at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on February 12 after returning from Cairo, Egypt.
This case adds to El-Rufai’s ongoing legal troubles. He was recently held by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over corruption allegations. Even after being released on administrative bail, he was taken into custody by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
ICPC spokesperson John Odey confirmed: “Malam Nasiru El-Rufai is in the custody of the commission in connection with ongoing investigations.”
