Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the immediate past governor of Kaduna States, Nasir El-Rufai, will be arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abuja on February 25 on a three-count criminal charge filed against him by the Department of State Services (DSS).
El-Rufai is to be arraigned before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, to whom the case has been assigned.
Information to this effect was contained in a hearing notice issued to parties by the court.
The DSS, in the charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026 accused El-Rufai of committing cybercrimes and violating the provisions of the Communications Act by allegedly being involved in the unlawful bugging of the telephone of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.
El-Rufai is, in count one, alleged to have, on February 13, while appearing as a guest on Arise TV station’s Prime Time Programme in Abuja, did admit during the interview that he and his cohorts unlawfully intercepted the phone communications of the NSA, Mr Ribadu.
The offence is said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 12(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment, Act, 2024.
He is, in count two, alleged to have, on February 13, while appearing as a guest on Arise TV station’s Prime Time Programme in Abuja, did state during the interview that he knew and related with certain individual, who unlawfully intercepted the phone 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.
It was alleged in count three 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 instilling reasonable apprehension of insecurity among Nigerians by unlawfully intercepting NSA’s phone communications.
The act, the DSS said, El-Rufai admitted during an interview on Feb. 13th on Arise TV station’s Prime Time Programme in Abuja “and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 131(2) Nigerian Communications Act 2003.”
Meanwhile, the planned commencement of trial in the case of alleged terrorism and illegal firearms possession against former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami (SAN) and his son, Abdulaziz was put off yesterday.
Proceedings could not be conducted by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik owing to the public holiday declared by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, in preparation for the council election scheduled for February 21.
Hearing in the case has been rescheduled for February 27.
The DSS had, on February 3, arraigned the ex-AGF and his son on a five-count charge bordering on terrorism and illegal firearms possession.
In the charge, marked, FHC/ABJ/CR/63/2026, Malami is also accused of refusing to prosecute suspected terrorism financiers, whose case files were handed to him while he served as the AGF and Minister of Justice.
Malami and Abdulaziz are equally accused of warehousing firearms in their residence at Gesse Phase II Area, Birain Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State without lawful authority.
The duo, however, pleaded not guilty when the counts were read to them.
Shortly after they pleaded to the charge, prosecuting lawyer, Calistus Eze prayed the court to order their remand in the custody of the DSS and fix a date for the commencement of trial.
But the defence lawyer, Shuaibu Aruwan, SAN, applied orally for bail for the defendants, arguing that his clients had been in DSS’ custody for over two weeks.
Justice Abdulmalik rejected the oral bail application, noting that her court is a court of record, and ordered the defence to file a formal application for bail.
The judge, who ordered that the defendants be remanded in the custody of the DSS, adjourned the matter until February 20 for the commencement of trial.
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