FG slams 3-count charge on el-Rufai over bugging o

•As EFCC drills him over N422bn corruption allegation amid protest

From Godwin Tsa Abuja

The Federal Government has filed a three-count charge against the former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, over alleged bugging of telephone line of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.

The government filed the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/2026, yesterday, before the Abuja division of the Federal High Court, through the Department of State Security (DSS).

The prosecution alleged that el-Rufai who also served as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, committed the crime with some persons, who are currently at large.

Specifically, the prosecution told the court that the erstwhile governor had, on February 3, when he appeared as a guest on Arise TV station’s Prime Time programme, admitted his complicity in the crime.

He was accused of committing an offence under section 12(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) (Amendment) Act 2024.

In count-two of the charge, the former governor, who is a frontline member of Africa Democratic Congress (ADC), was said to be aware that someone unlawfully intercepted the NSA’s communications, but failed to report the crime to the relevant security agencies.

It was further alleged that by using technical equipment to intercept the NSA’s calls, the defendants endangered public safety and national security and instilled ‘reasonable apprehension’ among Nigerians, an offence in breach of section 131(2) of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003.

The charge read: “That you, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, adult, male, on February 13, 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 February 13, 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 February 13, 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.