El-Rufai: Court Fixes April 23 for Arraignment Over Alleged Cybercrimes

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai will face arraignment on April 23 before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja, following charges brought by the Department of State Services (DSS) alleging cybercrimes and breaches of the Communications Act.

Wednesday’s scheduled arraignment was postponed due to El-Rufai’s absence in court. Oluwole Aladedoye, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) representing the DSS, informed the court that the former governor remained in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for ongoing investigation. Aladedoye requested an adjournment, citing the DSS’s lack of control over the separate investigation being conducted by the ICPC.

While Oluwole Iyamu, SAN, counsel for El-Rufai, did not object to the adjournment, he pressed for his client’s bail. Iyamu presented legal arguments supporting the bail request, but Aladedoye countered that it was premature to consider bail before a formal arraignment took place.

Justice Abdulmalik agreed with the DSS, declining to grant bail at this stage, stating that the court was not yet formally seized of the matter and that El-Rufai could re-apply for bail following his arraignment. The court subsequently set April 23 as the latest date for the arraignment proceedings.

The charges against El-Rufai stem from allegations of wiretapping the telephone lines of National Security Adviser (NSA) Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. The three-count charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026, filed on Monday, accuses El-Rufai of violating Section 12(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024, and the Nigerian Communications Act 2003.

According to the charge sheet, El-Rufai, while appearing on Arise TV’s Prime Time Programme on February 13, 2026, admitted to unlawfully intercepting Ribadu’s phone communications. The charges further allege that El-Rufai knowingly associated with individuals who engaged in unlawful interception and failed to report them to the appropriate security agencies, a violation of Section 27(b) of the Cybercrimes Act. A third count accuses El-Rufai and others still at large of using technical equipment to compromise public safety and national security by intercepting the NSA’s communications, in violation of Section 131(2) of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003.