Ribadu: FG Drags El-Rufai To Court Over Illegal Phone Tapping

The Federal Government has charged former Kaduna State Governor Nasiru El-Rufai with three counts for allegedly intercepting communications belonging to Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

Last week, El-Rufai said in an interview that he and others listened to conversations from Ribadu’s phone after a third party tapped it. He admitted this was technically illegal but argued that such surveillance is common.

The Federal Government, through the Department of State Services, brought El-Rufai before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

According to the charge sheet obtained on Monday, the government said El-Rufai admitted that he and others allegedly intercepted the NSA’s phone conversations.

The charge sheet read, “That you, Malla Nasir El-Rufai, adult male, on 13th February 2026, while appearing as a guest on Arise TV’s 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 and punishable under Section 12 (1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024.