The Department of State Services will on Wednesday, February 25, arraign former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El Rufai, over alleged cybercrime and breach of national security.
El Rufai is scheduled to appear before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The development follows his brief detention by the DSS on February 18 after he had spent two nights with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
El Rufai had alleged that the phone of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, was wiretapped, enabling him to listen to directives purportedly issued to security operatives to effect his arrest.
The DSS subsequently filed a three count charge against the former governor, accusing him of unlawfully intercepting the NSA’s telephone conversation.
In count one, El Rufai was alleged to have, on February 13, while appearing as a guest on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme in Abuja, admitted that he and his associates unlawfully intercepted the phone communications of the NSA.
The offence is said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 12 1 of the Cybercrimes Prohibition, Prevention, etc Amendment Act, 2024.
Count two alleged that on the same date and programme, he stated that he knew and related with an individual who unlawfully intercepted the NSA’s communications without reporting the matter to relevant security agencies.
The offence is said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 27 b of the Cybercrimes Prohibition, Prevention, etc Amendment Act, 2024.
In count three, El Rufai and others said to be at large were alleged to have, sometime in 2026 in Abuja, used technical equipment or systems that compromised public safety and national security, thereby instilling reasonable apprehension of insecurity among Nigerians through the unlawful interception of the NSA’s communications.
According to the DSS, the alleged offences contravene provisions of the Cybercrimes Prohibition, Prevention, etc Amendment Act, 2024 and the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.
El Rufai is also reported to have been in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission over alleged corruption during his tenure as governor of Kaduna State.
