The State Security Service has filed cybercrime charges against ex-Governor Nasir El-Rufai for admitting to being privy to the tapping of the phone of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
Mr El-Rufai was charged based on the provisions of the Cybercrime Act 2024 and the Nigerian Communications Act 2003.
“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 add punishable under Section 12 (1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024.
“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 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,” the charge sheet stated.
The suit followed a directive by the Office of the National Security Adviser to the SSS to probe Mr El-Rufai’s comments he made during an interview on ARISE TV last week.
During the interview, Mr El-Rufai revealed that he and others listened to the telephone conversations of Mr Ribadu through an individual who tapped the Nigerian security chief’s phone.
“Nuhu made the call and made the order that I must be in custody yesterday. He made the call because we listen to their calls; the government thinks they’re the only ones that listen to calls, but we also have our ways. He made the call; he gave the order. Someone tapped his phone and told me,” Mr El-Rufai said.
When told by the ARISE TV presenter that tapping the NSA’s phone was an illegal act, Mr El-Rufai responded, “I know, but the government does it all the time; they listen to our calls all the time without a court order. But someone tapped his phone and told us that he gave the order.”
Mr El-Rufai has recently come under scrutiny by several security agencies, including the EFCC, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, and the State Security Service.
The ex-governor confirmed last week that he would meet with ICPC operatives between Tuesday and Wednesday, after his meeting with the EFCC on Monday (today).
