The Department of State Services (DSS) has fixed February 25, 2026, to charge former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, before the Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged cybercrime and national security breaches.
The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026, was assigned to Justice Joyce Abdulmalik by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho.
The DSS filed a three-count charge accusing El-Rufai of unlawfully intercepting the telephone lines of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. The agency said the alleged actions violate the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, and the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.
According to the first count, El-Rufai allegedly admitted during an Arise TV Prime Time interview on February 13, 2026, that he and others intercepted the NSA’s phone communications.
In the second count, he was accused of saying he knew someone who carried out the interception but failed to report the act to security agencies. During the interview, El-Rufai claimed he overheard Ribadu directing security operatives to detain him and linked this to what he described as an attempted arrest at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on February 12 after returning from Cairo, Egypt.
The former governor had earlier been detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over an alleged ₦432 billion fraud case and was later granted administrative bail the same day. Shortly after his release, he was reportedly taken into custody again by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
El-Rufai is expected to appear in court on February 25 to take his plea on the charges filed against him by the DSS.
