Nasir El-Rufai, the immediate former governor of Kaduna State, has been charged before the Federal High Court in Abuja for allegedly participating in the bugging of National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu’s phone line.
When the five-count revised charge which was modified from a three-count charge, designated FHC/ABJ/99/2026, was read to El-Rufai in front of Justice Joyce Abdulmalik on Thursday, he entered a not guilty plea.
However, the court noted that a document cited by defense attorney Oluwole Iyamu (SAN) was missing from the case file, causing the proceedings to halt midway through the hearing of his bail application.
Following an application by Iyamu, unopposed by prosecuting counsel, Oluwole Aladeloye (SAN) the court stood down the matter to enable the defence to properly place the document before it.
The Department of State Services (DSS) charged him with a crime that five prosecutors, led by M. E. Ernest, said he committed with some people who are now on the run.
It claimed that the defendant confessed on February 13, when he was a guest on Arise TV Station’s Prime Time Programme in Abuja, that he worked with others to illegally intercept the NSA’s phone calls, which is a crime under section 12(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024.
El-Rufai was said to have broken the law by not reporting the crime, which is against Section 27 (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment, Act, 2024.
It was also said that the defendant, in cahoots with others who are still at large, used technical equipment that put public safety and national security at risk and made Nigerians feel unsafe after the NSA’s calls were illegally intercepted.
He was then charged with breaking the law and facing punishment under Section 131 (2) of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003.
Meanwhile, the former governor told Justice Joyce Abdulmalik that he was not guilty of the charge that was read to him before the trial.
Afterwards, his legal team, led by Mr. Oluwole Iyamu, SAN, asked for his release on bail while the case was still going on.
El-Rufai in past months
Prior to this development, El-Rufai had been taken into custody on February 16, 2026, following an invitation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He was later transferred to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), while a separate case filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) stalled due to his unavailability in court.
