The Federal Government has filed criminal charges against former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The charges, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026, were filed at the Abuja Judicial Division, listing the Federal Republic of Nigeria as complainant and El-Rufai as defendant.
According to court documents obtained by The Telegraph, the prosecution alleges that during an appearance on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme on February 13, 2026, in Abuja, El-Rufai admitted that he and others unlawfully intercepted the phone communications of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
In count one, the government contends that the alleged admission constitutes an offence under Section 12(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024.
Count two alleges that El-Rufai acknowledged knowing and associating with individuals who unlawfully intercepted Ribadu’s communications but failed to report them to the appropriate security authorities, contrary to Section 27(b) of the same Act.
The third count further alleges that El-Rufai and others now at large, sometime in 2026 in Abuja, used technical equipment or systems to unlawfully intercept the National Security Adviser’s communications, thereby compromising public safety and national security. The charge is said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 131(2) of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.
As of press time, no date has been fixed for his arraignment.
