By Vivian Okejeme Abuja
The Federal Government, has dragged the former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, to court over allegations of unlawful interception of the phone communication of the National Security Adviser(NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.
The FG as the complainant, had in a documents marked FHC/CR/99/2026, dated February 16, 2026, has El-Rufai listed as the sole defendant.
The prosecution team listed on the charge sheet is acting on behalf of the Department of State Services.
According to the charge sheet, the prosecution alleges that El-Rufai made incriminating admissions during a televised interview on February 13, 2026, while appearing as a guest on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme in Abuja.
Count One: “That you, Mallam Nasir El Rufai, adult, male, on 13th February, 2026, while appearing as a guest on Arise TV Station’s Prime Time Programme in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this court, did admit during the interview that you and your cohorts unlawfully intercepted the Phone Communications of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 12 (1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment, Act, 2024.”
Count Two: “That you, Mallam Nasir El Rufai, adult, male, on 13th February, 2026, while appearing as a guest on Arise TV Station’s Prime Time Programme in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this court, did state during the interview that you know and relate with certain individual, who unlawfully intercepted the Phone Communications of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, without reporting the said individual to relevant Security agencies and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 27 (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment, Act, 2024.”
Count Three: “That you, Mallam Nasir El Rufai, adult, male, and others still at large, sometime in 2026, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this court, with others still at large did use technical equipment or systems which compromised public safety, national security and instilling reasonable apprehension of insecurity among Nigerians by unlawfully intercepting the Phone Communications of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to which you admitted during an interview on 13th February, 2026, on Arise TV Station’s Prime Time Programme in Abuja and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 131 (2) Nigerian Communications Act 2003.”
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