The State Security Service has taken a former governor of Kaduna State on Wednesday, Nasir El-Rufai, into custody following the hearing of his bail application in an alleged conversion of and possession of public property and money laundering case against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
The Federal High Court, Kaduna Division, continued with the hearing of Mr El-Rufai’s bail application on Wednesday.
During proceedings, ICPC lawyers and the ex-governor’s lawyers argued over the matter, after which the trial judge adjourned the matter to April 14 for ruling on the bail application.
However, after the conclusion of proceedings, SSS operatives arrested Mr El-Rufai on the court premises.
The former governor is being probed and prosecuted by the ICPC, SSS, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
On February 16, Mr El-Rufai was detained in Abuja by the EFCC over an ongoing investigation into money laundering allegations levelled against him by the Kaduna State House of Assembly in a petition sent to the anti-graft agency.
The former governor is also being tried by the ICPC in two courts; the Federal High Court, Kaduna Division, and the Kaduna State High Court. While at the Kaduna State High Court, the ICPC arraigned the ex-governor for alleged abuse of office, fraud, intent to commit fraud, and conferring undue advantage.
The EFCC has yet to arraign Mr El-Rufai in court. However, the SSS in February filed charges against him bordering on cybercrime offences at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
In the case marked FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026 before trial judge Joyce Abdulmalik, the SSS based its charges against him on claims he made during a television interview that he listened to the conversations of the National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, via the assistance of an ally who tapped the NSA’s mobile.
In count one, the SSS accused Mr El-Rufai of admiting, during an interview as a guest on Arise TV station’s Prime Time programme in Abuja on February 13, that he and an associate unlawfully tapped Mr Ribadu’s phone.
The alleged offence is contrary to and punishable under Section 12(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment, Act, 2024
In count two, the SSS accused Mr El-Rufai of admiting that he knew and related with a certain individual, who unlawfully intercepted the phone communications of the NSA, without reporting the said individual to relevant security agencies.
The alleged offence is contrary to and punishable under Section 27 (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment, Act, 2024.
In count three, the SSS alleged that Mr El Rufai and others still at large, sometime in 2026, in Abuja, used technical equipment or systems which compromised public safety, national security and instilling reasonable apprehension of insecurity among Nigerians by unlawfully intercepting the NSA’s phone communications.
The alleged act is contrary to and punishable under Section 131(2) Nigerian Communications Act 2003.
