The Department of State Services (DSS) on Thursday arraigned former Kaduna Governor El-Rufai before the Federal High Court in Abuja over the alleged unlawful interception of NSA Nuhu Ribadu’s telephone communications.
El-Rufai, one of Nigeria’s most prominent and often polarizing political figures, was docked on a five-count charge marked FHC/ABJ/99/2026 before trial Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, a proceeding that marks one of the most significant legal actions against a former Nigerian governor in recent memory.
At the heart of the prosecution’s case is, remarkably, the defendant’s own words.
According to the charge, endorsed by a five-member prosecution team from the DSS led by M. E. Ernest, El-Rufai made what investigators describe as a damning admission during a live appearance on Arise TV Station’s “Prime Time Program” on February 13 in Abuja.
During that broadcast, the DSS alleges, the former governor publicly acknowledged aligning with others to unlawfully intercept the NSA’s phone communications, a confession, prosecutors contend, that was broadcast to a national audience and is now the cornerstone of the state’s case against him.
It is a rare, if not unprecedented, scenario in Nigerian jurisprudence: a high-profile defendant potentially incriminating himself not in a police interrogation room but on prime-time television.
The charges filed against the former governor are multi-layered and cut across several pieces of legislation, painting a picture of what the DSS describes as a calculated and coordinated assault on national security infrastructure.
Counts one and two relate to the alleged unlawful interception of the NSA’s telephone communications, offenses said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 12(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024.
The DSS alleges that El-Rufai did not act alone but in concert with unnamed collaborators who are currently described as being “on the run.”
Count three targets: El-Rufai’s alleged failure to report what he knew. Prosecutors allege that during the same television interview, the former governor admitted to knowing the identity of an individual who had unlawfully intercepted the NSA’s telephone communications, yet chose not to report this person to relevant security agencies.
This inaction, the DSS argues, constitutes a separate and distinct criminal offense under Section 27(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024.
Counts four and five escalate the gravity of the allegations significantly. The prosecution contends that El-Rufai and his alleged co-conspirators used technical equipment to compromise public safety and national security and that their actions instilled what the charge describes as “reasonable apprehension of insecurity” among ordinary Nigerians. These counts are anchored in Section 131(2) of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.
Standing before Justice Abdulmalik in what is expected to be the first of many court appearances, El-Rufai entered a plea of “not guilty” to all five counts. His demeanor in court, sources present at the proceedings indicate, was composed, characteristic of a man who has navigated the turbulent waters of Nigerian politics for three decades.
His legal team, led by the distinguished Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Oluwole Iyamu, wasted no time in filing a bail application, seeking the former governor’s release pending the full determination of the case. Justice Abdulmalik is expected to rule on the application in due course.
The arraignment carries enormous political weight. El-Rufai served as governor of Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023, a tenure defined as much by controversy as by bold policy interventions.
Before that, he served as minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, a role in which he earned a reputation as a reformer and no small number of powerful enemies.
Throughout his political career, El-Rufai has rarely been far from the headlines. Known for his sharp tongue, prolific presence on social media, and willingness to take on powerful interests, he has been a vocal critic of the administration of President Bola Tinubu, under whom, ironically, the current NSA Nuhu Ribadu, the alleged victim in this case, serves.
Legal analysts and civil society observers are already grappling with the wider implications of Thursday’s proceedings. For the prosecution’s critics, the case raises uncomfortable questions about the weaponization of security agencies against political opponents, a charge that has dogged successive Nigerian administrations.
The fact that the charges appear to be partly rooted in statements El-Rufai made freely on a television program will likely fuel debate about the boundaries of free speech, political commentary, and criminal liability in Nigeria.
For the DSS and the federal government, however, the case represents the enforcement of cybersecurity laws that they argue are essential to protecting the integrity of national security infrastructure, regardless of who the accused may be.
With El-Rufai’s bail application pending and his alleged co-conspirators yet to be apprehended, the case is set to unfold over months, possibly years, in the Federal High Court in Abuja. Justice Abdulmalik’s court will likely become a focal point for legal drama, political intrigue, and public scrutiny in the weeks ahead.
For now, one of Nigeria’s most recognizable political figures walks out of court as a man who has pleaded his innocence but whose legal battle has only just begun.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai has been arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abuja on five criminal counts linked to the alleged unlawful interception of NSA Nuhu Ribadu’s phone communications.
What makes this case extraordinary is that the prosecution’s strongest evidence appears to be El-Rufai’s own televised admission on Arise TV, his words on prime-time television now forming the backbone of the state’s case against him. He has pleaded not guilty and is seeking bail.
