The Department of State Services (DSS) officially arraigned former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, April 23, 2026 over wiretapping charges.
The arraignment comes over allegations that El-Rufai unlawfully accessed the private telephone communications of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that DSS arraigned El-Rufai before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
During the court session, the prosecution informed the presiding judge that the initial three-count charge filed against the former governor had been amended to a five-count charge.
The court subsequently struck out the previous charges to accommodate the new filings.
El-Rufai, who had served as both the Governor of Kaduna State and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), appeared in court and entered a not-guilty plea to all five counts.
After El-Rufai pleaded not guilty, Oluwole Aladeloye, counsel to the DSS, requested trial dates.
Objecting, Oluwole Iyamu, counsel to el-Rufai, said he needs to engage with his client because he has been in the custody of multiple security agencies.
Iyamu told the court that the bail application had been filed on February 17 and that a further affidavit was recently filed.
Joyce Abdulmalik, trial judge, said the further affidavit is not in her docket.
Abdulmalik said Iyamu should have carried out his due diligence of filing the process rather than engaging in Nollywood theatrics of camera personnel taking pictures in her courtroom.
The defendant’s lawyer said he did not invite the camera personnel.
The judge stood down the matter so that the issue of the further affidavit can be sorted.
Recall that the legal battle stemmed from a February 13, 2026, appearance by El-Rufai on Arise TV’s Prime Time program.
During the interview, El-Rufai discussed an alleged attempt by security agencies to detain him at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport upon his return from Cairo, Egypt.
He said “someone wiretapped” Ribadu’s phone, allowing him to listen to the NSA instructing security operatives to effect his arrest.
He had said: “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.
“Someone tapped his phone. The government listens to our calls all the time without a court order. Someone tapped his phone and told us that he gave the order.”
