RismadarVoice Reporters, February 16, 2026
The Federal Government has filed charges against the former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over the alleged unlawful interception of the National Security Adviser’s phone communications.
Court documents marked C2/99/2026 and dated February 16, 2026, list the Federal Republic of Nigeria as the complainant and El-Rufai as the defendant.
According to the prosecution, El-Rufai, while appearing on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme in Abuja on February 13, 2026, admitted that he and others had unlawfully intercepted the phone communications of National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
The charges include:
•Count One: That El-Rufai’s admission amounts to an offence under Section 12(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024.
•Count Two: That he knowingly associated with individuals who unlawfully intercepted the NSA’s phone communications but failed to report them, contrary to Section 27(b) of the Cybercrimes Amendment Act, 2024.
•Count Three: That El-Rufai and others allegedly used technical systems to unlawfully intercept Ribadu’s phone in 2026, an act said to have compromised public safety and national security, contrary to Section 131(2) of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.
The development has sparked nationwide attention, with the case expected to dominate legal and political discourse in the coming days.
