Alleged cybercrime offences: El-Rufai faces two-year jail term

Nasir

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.