Department of State Services arraigns El-Rufai February 25 over cybercrime
The Department of State Services (DSS) has concluded arrangements to arraign former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, before the Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged cybercrime and breach of national security.
Penpushing reports that the Department alleged that El-Rufai’s actions contravened provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, and the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.
The Chief Judge of the court, Justice John Tsoho in the case, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026, assigned to Justice Joyce Abdulmalik who subsequently fixed the date for the defendant’s arraignment.
‘The DSS alleged that the former governor, on February 13, 2026, while appearing as a guest on Arise TV’s Prime Time Programme in Abuja, admitted during the interview that he and others unlawfully intercepted the phone communications of the NSA, an offence said to be contrary to, and punishable under Section 12(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024’, the first count read
“El-Rufai was accused of stating during the same television interview that he knew and related with an individual who unlawfully intercepted the NSA’s phone communications without reporting the person to relevant security agencies’, count two stated
Penpushing further reports that the secret police added that the alleged offence is punishable under Section 27(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024.
The former Governor it would be recalled had, during the live Arise Television interview, claimed that he overheard Ribadu directing security operatives to detain him linking the alleged directive to what he described as an attempted arrest at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on February 12 upon his return from Cairo, Egypt.
Penpushing also reports that El-Rufai was later granted administrative bail at about 8 p.m. on Wednesday, after being detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for questioning in an alleged N432billion fraud case.
The suspect was, however, reportedly taken into custody by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) shortly after his release.
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