Manny Ita –
The political friction between Nasir El-Rufai and the President Bola Tinubu administration has escalated into a high-stakes legal battle following a series of explosive admissions made on national television. What began as a verbal exchange at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport has rapidly transformed into a formal criminal prosecution, with the federal government moving to charge the former Kaduna State Governor with multiple counts of cybercrime and security breaches.
The fallout stems from Mr. El-Rufai’s appearance on Arise TV’s Prime Time program, where he addressed his recent brief detention by security operatives. During the broadcast, the former governor alleged that he was aware of a directive from the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, to have him arrested—a claim he backed by asserting that the NSA’s private communications had been intercepted.
“The NSA’s call was tapped. They do that to our calls too, and we heard him saying they should arrest me,” Mr. El-Rufai claimed during the interview. When pressed on the legality of such actions, he doubled down on the revelation, stating, “He made the call because we listen to their calls. The government believes it is the only one listening to calls, but we have our ways.” He further acknowledged the gravity of the situation by noting, “Someone tapped his phone,” while admitting that such interceptions are technically illegal.
The response from the Presidency was swift and uncompromising. Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, characterized the remarks as a “confession,” while other officials questioned the source of the surveillance capabilities used against a top-ranking security officer. Legal and security experts have since warned that the unauthorized monitoring of the NSA represents a profound breach of national protocols, potentially exposing vulnerabilities in the country’s highest level of security infrastructure.
In the formal charges filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026, the State Security Services (SSS) identified three primary violations. The government alleges that Mr. El-Rufai contravened Section 12(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) (Amendment) Act by admitting to the unlawful interception. Additionally, he faces accusations of failing to report the individual responsible for the tap and using technical equipment in a manner that compromised public safety, a violation of the Nigerian Communications Act.
This legal confrontation marks the lowest point in the relationship between the former governor and the administration he once sought to serve as a minister. After his nomination was stalled by the Senate over “security concerns” in 2023, Mr. El-Rufai eventually exited the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). As the court prepares to set a date for his arraignment, the case stands as a landmark test of Nigeria’s cybercrime laws and the limits of political immunity when national security is invoked.
