Alleged phone tapping: DSS to arraign El-Rufai Feb 25

The Department of State Services (DSS) is set to arraign former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on February 25 before a Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations bordering on cybercrime and breach of national security.

El-Rufai will be brought before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik following the filing of a three-count charge by the secret police on Monday.

According to court documents, the charges stem from allegations that the former governor unlawfully intercepted a telephone conversation involving the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.

The DSS said the alleged act contravenes provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, as well as the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.

Daily Trust had earlier reported that officials of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) took El-Rufai into custody after he was granted bail by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Before that development, the former governor had spent two nights with the EFCC over separate matters.

The charge follows comments made by el-Rufai during an appearance last Saturday on Prime Time, an Arise Television programme, where he alleged that “someone wiretapped” the phone of the National Security Adviser, enabling him to hear Ribadu allegedly directing security operatives to arrest him.

Security authorities have not publicly provided full details of the alleged interception but maintain that it violates existing telecommunications and cybercrime laws.

Meanwhile, El-Rufai remains in ICPC custody in connection with investigations into alleged corruption during his tenure as governor of Kaduna State.

Further proceedings are expected when he appears in court on February 25.

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