Former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has come under intense pressure following his shocking admission that he intercepted telephone conversations of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
Presidential aides, politicians and security experts have demanded immediate investigation and possible prosecution of the ex-governor, describing his confession on national television as sufficient evidence for criminal charges.
El-Rufai, while speaking on Arise TV on Friday, revealed that he learned of an alleged plan to arrest him through a leaked conversation from the NSA’s phone, admitting that “someone tapped his phone” to provide him with the intelligence.
“Ribadu made the call because we listened to their calls. The government thinks that they’re the only ones that listen to calls. But we also have our ways,” El-Rufai said during the interview.
When the interviewer pointed out the illegality of such action, El-Rufai acknowledged it, saying, “That technically is illegal. I know, but the government does it all the time.”
The disclosure has sparked outrage in political and security circles, with analysts warning that the admission could constitute a grave breach of national security and further escalate political tensions ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Presidency demands probe
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Friday night, called for thorough investigation and punishment of El-Rufai over the confession.
“El-Rufai confesses to wire-tapping Nigeria’s NSA on TV. Does it mean that he and his collaborators have wire-tapping facilities? This should be thoroughly investigated and punishment meted out. El-Rufai is not too big to face the wrath of the law,” Onanuga wrote on his X handle.
Similarly, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, warned that the former governor would face consequences for the admission.
“El-Rufai admitted on national television that someone tapped the phone of the NSA for him to listen to his conversation. By the time he is picked up to produce the person who illegally tapped the NSA’s phone, he would say President Tinubu is a ‘tyrant’ and persecuting him,” Ajayi stated.
‘Grave national security breach’
A retired Director of the Department of State Services, Abdulrasaq Salami, described the former governor’s statement as “extremely grave” and a breach of national security protocol that required urgent investigation.
He said, “This is not an ordinary political scandal. Intercepting the communications of the National Security Adviser, the country’s top security policy official, potentially exposes operational plans, sources and methods. It undermines the confidentiality on which intelligence and crisis responses depend.”
Salami called for immediate institutional response, including the suspension of compromised accounts and devices, urgent forensic sweep of affected lines, and an emergency classified integrity review.
“If the admission is true, it amounts to a serious breach of national security protocols and requires criminal and administrative investigation. This matter must not be reduced to political drama,” he added.
A retired senior military intelligence officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, warned that the implications could extend beyond Nigeria’s borders and affect international security partnerships.
“Intelligence relies on compartmentalisation. Once a senior official’s conversations have been monitored, allies and assets may be endangered and adversaries can exploit exposed patterns. It’s not just unlawful in most circumstances, it is operationally corrosive,” he said.
The source added that the fallout could damage Nigeria’s counter-insurgency collaboration with foreign partners, including the United States.
“Partners may pause intelligence sharing until they are satisfied that sensitive channels are secure. Human sources may withdraw, fearing exposure, delivering a direct hit to prevention and counter-terrorism capacity,” the intelligence officer stated.
Ganduje demands investigation
Meanwhile, former Kano State Governor and National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Ganduje, has also called for El-Rufai’s investigation after the latter linked him to the disappearance of Kaduna-based activist, Abubakar Idris, popularly known as Dadiyata.
In a statement on Saturday by a former Kano Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Muhammad Garba, Ganduje described the allegation as “reckless, unfounded and a clear attempt to shift responsibility for an incident that occurred entirely within Kaduna State.”
Dadiyata, a vocal critic of El-Rufai’s administration, was abducted in Kaduna in August 2019 and has not been seen since. For several years, many Nigerians on social media accused the former governor of having a hand in the incident.
