Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai on Wednesday night shortly after his release on bail by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Witnesses reported that El-Rufai, who had been in EFCC custody since Monday over corruption allegations, was granted bail around 8 p.m. but immediately taken into DSS custody at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja. The arrest stems from cybercrime charges filed by DSS at the Federal High Court in Abuja (FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026), accusing him of unlawfully intercepting phone communications of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
The charges followed El-Rufai’s live Arise TV interview where he claimed to have overheard Ribadu directing his arrest at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport upon returning from Cairo. Prosecutors allege he admitted to the interception, failed to report accomplices, and compromised national security using technical systems, violating the Cybercrimes Act 2024 and Nigerian Communications Act 2003.
El-Rufai faces ongoing EFCC scrutiny over alleged N423 billion diversion during his Kaduna governorship, alongside the airport incident where his passport was seized. His lawyer condemned the attempted arrest as unconstitutional.
Ravenewsonline will track developments in this high-profile security case as arraignment awaits.
