Wiretapping: El-Rufai pleads not guilty, faces fresh charges

The legal battle surrounding former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has intensified, with the Federal Government unveiling a significantly expanded charge sheet. This new five-count indictment, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, moves beyond the initial allegations of unlawful communication interception to encompass more serious national security concerns, including interference with critical national infrastructure and unauthorized access to classified information. El-Rufai, upon his arraignment, entered a plea of not guilty to all charges.

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intentionally and unlawfully interfer[ing] with the communication of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, describing the communication channel as part of Nigeria’s critical national information infrastructure.

The prosecution, led by the Department of State Services, has revised the allegations substantially. Count one of the amended charge specifically accuses El-Rufai of unlawfully interfering with the communication channels of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, labeling these channels as part of Nigeria's critical national information infrastructure. This charge falls under the purview of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024. A particularly grave addition is a new count alleging that El-Rufai 'without authorisation, intentionally secured access to classified information' pertaining to Ribadu, including details of an arrest and detention order.

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without authorisation, intentionally secured access to classified information relating to Ribadu, including details of his arrest and detention order issued on February 12, 2026.

This shift in framing represents a significant escalation, moving the case from alleged intercepted communications to a more serious allegation of breaching state secrets. While the amended charge retains and restructures some earlier allegations, such as unlawful interception and the use of technical systems that compromised public safety, the inclusion of interference with critical infrastructure and access to classified information introduces a broader national security dimension. The implications of these charges, particularly concerning the alleged actions against the NSA's communications and classified data, are profound and underscore the sensitivity of the matters at hand.

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That you, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, adult, male, intentionally and without authorisation, intercepted the communications of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, as admitted by you on 13th February, 2026, while appearing as a guest on Arise TV Station’s Prime Time Programme in Abuja… and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 12(1) of the Cybercrimes Act.