FG slams criminal charges on El-Rufai over alleged Interception of NSA’s Phone calls
The federal government on Monday slammed three count criminal charges against former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai at the Federal High Court Abuja over allegations of unlawful interception of the phone communications of Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu.
The criminal charge, instituted in the name of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and marked FCT/ABJ/CR/99/2026, arose from statements El-Rufai allegedly made during a live interview on Arise TV’s Prime Time Programme on February 13, 2026, in Abuja.
According to the charge, El-Rufai, 65, admitted during the broadcast that he and some associates unlawfully intercepted the private phone communications of the NSA.
The department of state security service is contending that the alleged act amounted to a serious breach of Nigeria’s cybercrime and communications laws and posed a threat to public safety and national security.
The charge further alleged that the former governor not only acknowledged knowledge of those who carried out the interception but also failed to report them to relevant security agencies, despite being aware of the alleged offence.
It claimed that the unlawful use of technical equipment to intercept the NSA’s communications compromised national security and created reasonable apprehension of insecurity among Nigerians.
The charge is predicated on provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024, as well as the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.
In the charge filed at the Federal High Court, the prosecution from the Department of State Services claimed that the unlawful use of technical equipment to intercept the NSA’s communications compromised national security and created reasonable apprehension of insecurity among Nigerians.
With the charge, it is expected that El-Rufia will be arraigned in Court today Tuesday 17, February 2026.
