El-Rufai faces two-year jail for alleged cybercrime offences

Former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai faces two years in jail for alleged cybercrime if found guilty of the offences he was charged with.

Yesterday, the Directorate of State Service (DSS) filed a three-count charge bordering on intrusion into privacy.

Also, he was detained last night after being grilled for hours by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged financial impropriety.

His appearance at the EFCC’s office was trailed by two groups of protesters – some in his support and others against him.

By nightfall, El-Rufai, once one of the most powerful figures in the political establishment, found himself facing the grim prospect of a jail term, multiple investigations, and a growing chorus of voices insisting that his public admissions had left him with “a clear case to answer.”

DSS slams ex-governor with cybercrime charge

The DSS filed a three-count criminal charge at the Federal High Court in Abuja over the alleged unlawful interception of telephone communications of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

The charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026, was filed early yesterday and draws heavily from comments El-Rufai made during a February 13, 2026, interview on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme.

In that interview, he spoke of listening to intercepted conversations allegedly involving Ribadu and security operatives, statements investigators now say amount to admissions of criminal conduct.

According to the prosecution, El-Rufai admitted knowledge of the unlawful interception, failed to report those responsible to security agencies, and, working with others still at large, benefited from or encouraged the use of technical systems that compromised national security and instilled fear among the public.

Counts in the charge 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 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 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.

Section 12 (1) of the Cybercrime Act provides for a two-year jail term or N5million fine or both on conviction; Section 131 (2) of the Nigerian Communications Act stipulates a fine not exceeding N100,000.00 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or both.

EFCC detains El-Rufai

The EFCC detained the former governor after subjecting him to about eight hours of interrogation at its Abuja headquarters.

The detention followed a court order obtained by the commission to allow investigators more time to question El-Rufai over a raft of allegations arising from a Kaduna State House of Assembly report adopted in June 2024.

Investigators said he is expected to account for over N21 billion, part of broader claims that up to N432 billion in loans and state funds were mismanaged during his eight-year tenure from May 2015 to May 2023.

An EFCC source said the former governor was grilled on allegations of diversion of funds, money laundering, and the accumulation of what lawmakers described as unjustified domestic and foreign debts.

The source added that the commission acted on a formal petition by the Kaduna State Government, supported by resolutions of the House of Assembly.

Part of the probe centres on the controversial Kaduna light rail project, for which substantial public funds were reportedly paid to a joint venture company, Indo Kaduna Marts JV Nigeria Ltd, but the project was never executed.

Assembly investigators recommended recovery actions and referrals of former commissioners of finance and accountants-general to law enforcement agencies.

The EFCC source said: “The court order allows us to detain him to enable him to make statements and clarify documents, agreements and instruments bearing his signature.

“How long he stays depends entirely on the court.”

Drama, protests, counter-protests

El-Rufai’s appearance at the EFCC headquarters was marked by drama even before he arrived.

Groups of supporters and critics gathered within and around the precincts, some chanting solidarity songs, others demanding immediate prosecution.

Under the banner of various civil society and advocacy groups, protesters carried placards reading “El-Rufai Not Above the Law,” “Answer the Charges,” and “Let Justice Speak.”

Another cluster of demonstrators accused the agencies of political persecution, insisting that the former governor was being targeted for his outspoken views.

EFCC officials received petitions from protest leaders and urged calm, assuring them that the commission would act professionally and in line with due process.

An official told the crowd: “The EFCC recognises the right of Nigerians to lawful protest.

“Your concerns will be communicated to the appropriate quarters.”

In Kaduna, hundreds of demonstrators also stormed the State House of Assembly, demanding updates on the legislative probe into El-Rufai’s administration.

Lawmakers said their findings had already been transmitted to anti-graft agencies and warned that no individual, regardless of status, would be shielded from accountability.

El-Rufai has spoken himself into many troubles in recent months.

Last week, he stated that he was likely to be arrested.

The following day, he arrived from Cairo, Egypt and created a scene inside the arrival hall of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, when security operatives tried to have an audience with him.

His supporters found their way into the arrival hall and prevented the security men from doing their job. But his passport was seized.

On Sunday, he posted on X that he had written to the NSA seeking an explanation on the alleged importation of a toxic chemical from Poland.

The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) accused him of being deceptive by not saying that he received a response from the office and that the matter had been referred to the DSS for probe.

He is also expected to appear before the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Offences Commission (ICPC) to defend his integrity on another matter.

El-Rufai had said in the interview: “We found that it was the ICPC that procured the DSS to abduct me and hand over to them.

“This is the modus operandi of ICPC that increasingly has become a personal tool of…Ribadu, who made the call and ordered that I must be in custody that particular day.

“He made the call because we listened to their calls. The government thinks they are the only ones that listen to calls, but we also have our ways. He made the call and gave the order.”