The Department of State Services has fixed February 25, 2026, for the arraignment of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai before the Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged cybercrime and breach of national security.
The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026, has been assigned to Justice Joyce Abdulmalik by the Chief Judge of the court, Justice John Tsoho, who subsequently set the date for the defendant’s arraignment .
The DSS filed a three-count criminal charge against the former governor on Monday, accusing him of unlawfully intercepting the telephone lines of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu . The secret police allege that El-Rufai’s actions contravene provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, and the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.
In the first count, the DSS alleged that El-Rufai, on February 13, 2026, while appearing as a guest on Arise TV’s Prime Time Programme in Abuja, “admitted during the interview that he and his cohorts unlawfully intercepted the phone communications of the NSA” . This offence is said to be contrary to Section 12(1) of the Cybercrimes Amendment Act, 2024.
Count two alleges that during the same television interview, the former governor stated that he “knew and related with certain individual, who unlawfully intercepted the phone communications of NSA, without reporting the said individual to relevant security agencies” . The DSS said this offence is punishable under Section 27(b) of the Cybercrimes Amendment Act, 2024.
The third count accuses El-Rufai and others still at large of using “technical equipment or systems which compromised public safety, national security and instilled reasonable apprehension of insecurity among Nigerians” by unlawfully intercepting the NSA’s phone communications . The act allegedly violates Section 131(2) of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.
El-Rufai had, during the live Arise TV interview, claimed that he overheard Ribadu directing security operatives to detain him, linking the alleged directive to an attempted arrest at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on February 12 upon his return from Cairo, Egypt .
The former governor was earlier detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over separate corruption allegations involving an alleged N432 billion fraud during his tenure as Kaduna State governor . He was granted administrative bail at about 8 p.m. on Wednesday but was reportedly taken into custody by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) shortly after his release .
Confirming the development, ICPC spokesperson John Odey stated in a message shared with journalists, “Malam Nasiru El-Rufai is in the custody of the commission in connection with ongoing investigations” .
