The Department of State Service will on February 25, arraign the immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai before the Federal High Court, Abuja, over alleged cybercrime and security. El-Rufai will be arraigned before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, to whom the case has been assigned, according to a hearing notice issued by the court.

The DSS, in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/ CR/99/2026, accused him of committing cybercrimes and breaching provisions of the Communications Act by allegedly participating in the unlawful surveillance of the telephone of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

The DSS had on February 18, briefly took El-Rufai into custody after he spent two nights with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). El-Rufai had said that someone wiretapped the telephone of Ribadu, allowing him to listen to the NSA directing security operatives to effect his arrest.

The DSS consequently filed a three-count charge against El-Rufai for allegedly intercepting the NSA’s telephone conversation. In count one, El-Rufai was alleged to have, on February 13, while appearing as a guest on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme in Abuja, admitted that he and his cohorts unlawfully intercepted the telephone communications of Ribadu.

The offence is said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 12(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment, Act, 2024. In count two, the ex-governor was alleged to have, on February 13, while appearing as a guest on Arise Television, stated that he knew and related with a certain individual, who unlawfully intercepted the telephone communications of NSA, without reporting the said individual to relevant security agencies.

The offence is said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 27 (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment, Act, 2024.

Count three alleged that El-Rufai and others still at large, sometime in 2026, in Abuja, did use technical equipment or systems which compromised public safety, national security and instilled reasonable apprehension of insecurity among Nigerians, to unlawfully intercept the NSA’s telephone communications.

The DSS said the alleged offence contravened the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment, Act, 2024 and the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.