Ribadu’s Phone Bugging: DSS to Arraign El-Rufai Feb 25

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has fixed February 25 for the arraignment of former Kaduna Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on a three-count charge over alleged cybercrime and breach of national security.

Justice Abdulmalik fixed the date after the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, assigned the case file to her.

The Federal government through the Department of State Security Service (DSSS) is charging El-Rufai over his alleged involvement in wire-tapping the telephone lines of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

According to the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026, El-Rufai is accused of breaching the Cybercrimes Prohibition Act (2024) and the Nigerian Communications Act (2003). The prosecution alleged that El-Rufai, who also served as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, committed the crime with some persons currently on the run.

Specifically, the prosecution told the court that the erstwhile governor had, on February 3, when he appeared as a guest on Arise TV, admitted his complicity in the crime. He was accused of committing an offence under Section 12(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) (Amendment) Act 2024. In count-two of the charge, the former governor, who is a frontline member of a coalition of opposition politicians dissatisfied with President Bola Tinubu’s administration, was said to be aware that someone unlawfully intercepted the NSA’s communications, but failed to report the crime to the relevant security agencies.

It was further alleged that by using technical equipment to intercept the NSA’s calls, the defendants endangered public safety and national security, and instilled “reasonable apprehension” among Nigerians, an offence in breach of section 131(2) of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003.

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(Saturday Sun)