Immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai will today at the Federal High Court in Abuja be put on trial over his alleged complicity in cybercrimes and breach of Communications Act.
El-Rufai is billed to be arraigned before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik by the Department of State Services (DSS) on three count charges.
At the time of this report, security operatives have taken control of the count due to the large crowd of sympathizers and political followers that have thronged the court.
The presence of the security operatives is also to ward off possible threat to security and orderliness within the court.
Meanwhile, the court room on third floor of the building has been filled to the brim with the security operatives controlling access.
The former governor is being awaited in the court room as well as Justice Joyce Abdulmalik for the arraignment.
The DSS filed the charge against El-Rufai over his alleged involvement in wiretapping the telephone lines of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
In the three-count charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026 was filed early on Monday before the Federal High Court in Abuja, the secret police accused the former governor of breaching the Cybercrimes Prohibition Act, (2024), and the Nigerian Communications Act (2003.)
Counts in the charge read:
“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.
“That you, Mallam Nasir El Rufai, adult, male, on 13t 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.
“That you, Mallam Nasir El Rufai, adult, male, and other 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.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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