Nigeria: DSS Files Charges Against El-Rufai Over 'Tapping of Ribadu's Phone'

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Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai.
16 February 2026
Daily Trust (Abuja)

The Department of State Services (DSS) has filed charges against the immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir 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:

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*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.

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