Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai is to be arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abuja on 25 February over allegations of cybercrime and breaches of national security, in a case that marks a dramatic escalation in the federal government’s confrontation with one of its most outspoken critics.
The former governor faces a three-count charge centred on the alleged unlawful interception of the phone lines of the national security adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. Court documents seen by reporters indicate that the matter, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026, has been assigned to Justice Joyce Abdulmalik by the chief judge, John Tsoho, who fixed the date for arraignment.
The charges were filed on Monday by the Department of State Services, which alleges that El-Rufai’s actions contravened provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, and the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.
According to the first count, the DSS claims that on 13 February 2026, while appearing on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme in Abuja, El-Rufai admitted during a live interview that he and others had unlawfully intercepted the NSA’s phone communications. The agency argues that this admission amounts to an offence under section 12(1) of the Cybercrimes Act, which criminalises the intentional and unauthorised interception of non-public computer data transmissions.
If convicted under that provision, El-Rufai faces a penalty of up to two years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to N5m, or both.
In the second count, prosecutors allege that during the same television appearance, El-Rufai stated that he knew and maintained contact with an individual who had unlawfully intercepted Ribadu’s phone communications, yet failed to report the matter to security agencies. The DSS contends that this omission constitutes a further offence under section 27(b) of the amended Act.
During the broadcast, El-Rufai claimed he had overheard Ribadu directing security operatives to detain him, linking the alleged directive to what he described as an attempted arrest at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on 12 February as he returned from Cairo.
The cybercrime charges come amid a flurry of legal troubles for the former governor. He was earlier invited and detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over an alleged N432bn fraud case. Though released on Wednesday evening, he was subsequently taken into custody by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, where he remains detained.
The case is likely to intensify debate over the application of Nigeria’s cybercrime laws, particularly where political speech and televised commentary intersect with questions of national security. For now, attention turns to the Abuja courtroom, where the former governor is expected to formally enter his plea next week.
