El-Rufai admits wiretapping NSA’s phone on TV, DSS witness testifies

A prosecution witness in the trial of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai has told the Federal High Court in Abuja that El-Rufai confirmed during a television interview that he was involved in wiretapping the phone lines of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.

The witness, Barrister Deji Adeyanju, testifying as the second prosecution witness, said he appeared on an Arise Television programme on February 13, the same day El-Rufai allegedly made the confession on the same station.

Adeyanju quoted El-Rufai as saying during the interview: “We listened to the conversations of the NSA.”

Led in evidence by prosecution counsel Oluwole Aladedoye, Adeyanju confirmed that he knew El-Rufai as a former Kaduna State governor and recalled issuing a public statement after reports surfaced that the ex-governor would be arrested by security operatives.

The prosecution tendered the subpoena used to summon Adeyanju, which was admitted as Exhibit G. The court also reviewed the Arise TV interview footage, after which Adeyanju confirmed both the recording and the statements made on the programme.

His own interview, contained on a flash drive along with a certificate of compliance, was admitted as Exhibits H and H1.

Adeyanju told the court he was later invited by the Department of State Services (DSS) to recount what happened at the television studio.

He said he confirmed to investigators that he was present when El-Rufai made the statements on air and that El-Rufai, when pressed further during the interview, said someone had carried out the phone tapping and passed the information to him.

Under cross-examination by defence counsel Paul Erokoro (SAN), Adeyanju maintained that while he did not hear El-Rufai explicitly say he hacked the NSA’s phone lines, he did hear him say that his cohort “listened to the conversations of the NSA”.

Asked whether he knew how the NSA makes calls, and whether he would be surprised that DSS investigators never asked the NSA which device was allegedly compromised, Adeyanju said those matters were not his concern.

The prosecution also tendered an official gazette, which was admitted without objection as Exhibit I.

The matter was adjourned to June 23 for the continuation of trial.

The DSS had charged El-Rufai with three counts bordering on the alleged wiretapping of NSA Nuhu Ribadu’s phone lines, in violation of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, and the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.

The charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026, accuses El-Rufai of:

“Admitting, during the February 13, 2026, Arise TV interview, that he and his associates unlawfully intercepted Ribadu’s phone communications — contrary to Section 12(1) of the Cybercrimes Act.

“Knowingly associating with an individual who allegedly intercepted Ribadu’s communications, without reporting that person to security agencies — contrary to Section 27(b) of the same Act; and

“Using technical equipment, alongside others still at large, to unlawfully intercept Ribadu’s communications in a manner compromising public safety and national security, contrary to Section 131(2) of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.”

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