The Federal Government has arraigned former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over allegations of unlawfully intercepting the telephone communications of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
El-Rufai, 65, is also accused of admitting to the act during a television interview.
Court documents filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Sunday, February 16, 2026, show that prosecutors charged the ex-governor with multiple offences under Nigeria’s cybercrime and communications laws.
The charge sheet reveals that the first count borders on statements the defendant allegedly made on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme on February 13, 2026.
Prosecutors claimed that El-Rufai admitted during the broadcast that he and unnamed associates unlawfully intercepted Ribadu’s phone communications.
The prosecution argued that the admission constitutes an offence under Section 12(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024.
In the second count, the government alleged that El-Rufai disclosed on the same programme that he knew and maintained contact with an individual responsible for intercepting the NSA’s communications.
According to prosecutors, his failure to report the person to security agencies violated Section 27(b) of the amended Cybercrimes Act.
The third count expanded the allegations, claiming that El-Rufai and others at large deployed technical equipment or systems in 2026 to compromise public safety and national security.
The charge stated that the alleged interception created reasonable apprehension of insecurity among Nigerians, contrary to Section 131(2) of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.
