The Department of State Services (DSS) will, on February 25, arraign former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on alleged cybercrime and breach of national security.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court (FHC) fixed the date after the Chief Judge, Justice John Tsoho, assigned the case to her.
This is even as officials of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have raided his Abuja residence.
on Thursday night, Muyiwa Adekeye, spokesman of El-Rufai, posted on social media that the Aso Drive residence of the former governor was raided.
”UPDATE: The Aso Drive residence of Malam Nasir @elrufai was today searched by the ICPC.
”Ubong Akpan, Malam El- Rufai’s lawyer, condemned the action “as unlawful, and a clear violation of legal procedures and fundamental rights.”
One Imran U. Wakili (PULLO), a social media user, also posted on X, ”The residence of Malam Nasir El-Rufai was today searched by the ICPC. Details regarding the warrant status and the outcome of the search remain unclear as of the time of filing this report. Authorities have yet to issue an official statement on the operation. They should continue, but they should just pray that they are doing everything legally, this is the height of desperation. Again, They will not find anything incriminating, Mallam is as pure as Linkafani.”
The Kaduna House of Assembly had recommended the probe of El-Rufai over alleged fraud to the tune of N432 billion, an allegation which he denied.
The DSS had, on Monday, filed a three-count criminal charge against El-Rufai following his alleged involvement in wiretapping the telephone lines of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
The charge, instituted by the Nigerian secret police, is marked FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026. NAN reports that the service accused El-Rufai of breaching the Cybercrimes Prohibition Act (2024) and the Nigerian Communications Act (2003).
In court, El-Rufai was alleged to have, on February 13, while appearing as a guest on Arise TV station’s Prime Time Programme in Abuja, admitted during the interview that he and his cohorts unlawfully intercepted the phone communications of the NSA, Mr Ribadu.
The offence is said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 12(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024.
In count two, the ex-governor was alleged to have, on Feb. 13, while appearing as a guest on Arise TV station’s Prime Time Programme in Abuja, stated during the interview 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 offence is said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 27(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024.
Count three alleged that El-Rufai and others still at large, sometime in 2026, in Abuja, did use technical equipment or systems which compromised public safety and national security and instilled reasonable apprehension of insecurity among Nigerians by unlawfully intercepting the NSA’s phone communications.
The act, which the DSS said the ex-governor admitted during an interview on Feb. 13th on Arise TV station’s Prime Time Programme in Abuja, “and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 131(2) Nigerian Communications Act 2003.”
Recall that El-Rufai had, during a live interview on the TV station, claimed 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 after his return from Cairo, Egypt.
The former governor was detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday over corruption allegations.
He was granted administrative bail at about 8 p.m. on Wednesday but was said to have been immediately taken into custody by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The ICPC’s spokesperson, John Odey, who confirmed the development in a message shared on a journalist’s WhatsApp group Wednesday night, simply said, “Malam Nasiru El-Rufai is in the custody of the commission in connection with ongoing investigations.”
