DSS TO ARRAIGN EL-RUFIAI ON CYBERCRIME, SECURITY BREACH CHARGES

The Nasir El-Rufai is set to be arraigned on February 25 by the Department of State Services (DSS) on alleged cybercrime and breach of national security charges, the News Agency of Nigeria reports. According to court filings, the DSS has filed a three-count criminal charge against El-Rufai at the Federal High Court in Abuja accusing him of unlawfully intercepting telephone communications connected to the country’s National Security Adviser (NSA), in violation of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024 and the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003. Details from the charge sheet allege that the former governor admitted to receiving information from intercepted communications during a televised interview — an allegation his lawyers have strongly denied and criticised as lacking legal basis. The arraignment date was confirmed after the case was assigned by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to Justice Joyce Abdulmalik. El-Rufai’s legal ordeal follows a series of interlinked developments involving multiple agencies. He was earlier detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in relation to a separate corruption probe before being taken into DSS custody under the new charges. The former governor’s detention has not been without controversy, with rights advocates and legal experts raising questions about the statutory authority of the security agencies prosecuting the case and the broader implications for due process. As the February 25 arraignment approaches, legal teams for both the prosecution and defence are preparing for what is expected to be a high-profile case that could have implications for national security law, governance, and political accountability in Nigeria.