FG Drags El-Rufai to Court Over Alleged NSA Phone Interception

FG Drags El-Rufai to Court Over Alleged NSA Phone Interception

 

The Federal Government 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 charge, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja through the Department of State Services (DSS), alleges that El-Rufai conspired with unnamed accomplices—said to be currently at large—to carry out the interception.

According to court documents, the alleged offence contravenes Section 12(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) (Amendment) Act 2024.

The Federal Government further claimed that El-Rufai admitted involvement in the act during an appearance on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme on February 3.

In the second count, prosecutors alleged that the former governor was aware that the NSA’s communications had been unlawfully intercepted but failed to report the breach to appropriate security agencies.

The third count accuses El-Rufai and his alleged collaborators of using technical equipment to intercept Ribadu’s calls in a manner that endangered public safety and national security.

The prosecution argued that the action created “reasonable apprehension” among Nigerians, contrary to Section 131(2) of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003.

El-Rufai, a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory under President Olusegun Obasanjo and a prominent figure in an emerging opposition coalition critical of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, has yet to publicly respond to the charges.

Further proceedings in the case are expected to commence at the Federal High Court in Abuja.