FG files charges against El-Rufai over alleged wiretapping of Ribadu’s phones

The Federal Government has filed a three-count charge against former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai over the alleged interception of communications belonging to National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

This was disclosed in court documents filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The charges followed comments made by El-Rufai during an interview on Arise TV, where he claimed that he and others listened to conversations from Ribadu’s phone after it was tapped by a third party.

In the charge sheet seen by Dockaysworld, the government said El-Rufai admitted to unlawfully intercepting the NSA’s phone communications.

Count one alleged that he “did admit during the interview that you and your cohorts unlawfully intercepted the Phone Communications of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu,” an offence punishable under Section 12(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024.

Count two accused him of failing to report individuals involved in the alleged interception, contrary to Section 27(b) of the same Act.

The third count alleged that he and others still at large used technical equipment that compromised public safety and national security, contrary to Section 131(2) of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003.