‘Man of courage’, Atiku Hails El-Rufai on 66th birthday

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has felicitated with Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, a former governor of Kaduna State, on his 66th birthday.

In a social media post on Monday, Atiku described El-Rufai as a courageous and sagacious man.

Atiku wrote, “Happy Birthday to Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. A man of intellect, courage, and uncommon sagacity. Even amid the present political persecution and needless distractions, his record of service and clarity of thought and purpose remain undeniable. I wish him strength, peace, and Allah’s guidance in the years ahead. -AA”

However, Atiku’s birthday message came on the same day El-Rufai honoured an invitation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for questioning at its headquarters in Abuja.

Daily Trust had reported that some group of protesters stormed the headquarters of the EFCC in Abuja, ahead of El-Rufai’s arrival.

The Department of State Services (DSS) also filed charges against the former governor over his alleged involvement in wiretapping of the telephone lines of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

In the three-count charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026, filed early on Monday before the Federal High Court in Abuja, the secret police accused the former governor of breaching the Prohibition Act, (2024), and the Nigerian Communications Act (2003.)

El-Rufai had during his appearance on Arise TV station’s Prime Time Programme on Thursday, accused Ribadu of masterminding his arrest attempt.

He said that he listened to an intercepted phone conversation involving Nuhu Ribadu, who allegedly directed security operatives to arrest him (El-Rufai).

He claimed that the call was made available to him after Ribadu’s phone was tapped by a source he failed to identify.

The counts read, “That you, Mallam Nasir El Rufai, adult, male, on 13th February, 2026, while appearing as a guest on Arise TV station’s Prime Time Programme in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this court, did admit during the interview that you and your cohorts unlawfully intercepted the phone communications of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 12(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment, Act, 2024.

“That you, Mallam Nasir El Rufai, adult, male, on 13t February, 2026, while appearing as a guest on Arise TV station’s Prime Time Programme in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this court, did state during the interview that you know and relate with certain individual, who unlawfully intercepted the Phone Communications of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, without reporting the said individual to relevant Security agencies and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 27 (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment, Act, 2024.

”That you, Mallam Nasir El Rufai, adult, male, and other still at large, sometime in 2026, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this court, with others still at large did use technical equipment or systems which compromised public safety, national security and instilling reasonable apprehension of insecurity among Nigerians by unlawfully intercepting the phone communications of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to which you admitted during an interview on 13th February, 2026, 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.”

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