The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, in the sum of N100 million over allegations linked to the unlawful interception of the phone communications of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. The ruling, delivered by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, came amid heightened political tension and growing public interest surrounding the controversial case.
The court imposed strict bail conditions on the former governor, directing him to provide a surety who must be a federal civil servant not below Grade Level 17 and resident in either Maitama or Asokoro in Abuja. The surety is also expected to present the original Certificate of Occupancy of a landed property valued at not less than the bail sum, alongside salary evidence, tax clearance documents and an affidavit of means.
As part of the conditions attached to the bail, El-Rufai was ordered to surrender all his international passports to the court and was barred from travelling outside Nigeria without express approval. The judge further directed him to report to the headquarters of the Department of State Services every last Friday of the month to sign an attendance register pending the conclusion of the trial. The court warned that failure to comply with any of the conditions would automatically lead to the revocation of his bail. ..READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE .
The former governor is facing a five-count amended charge filed by the Department of State Services over allegations that he unlawfully intercepted the phone communications of Ribadu and failed to report the act to security agencies. Prosecutors alleged that El-Rufai made statements during a television interview on Arise TV in February 2026 in which he admitted knowledge of the phone interception and identified individuals allegedly involved in the act.
According to the DSS, the alleged interception violated provisions of the Cybercrimes Act and the Nigerian Communications Act. The agency accused El-Rufai and unnamed accomplices of using technical equipment capable of compromising national security and creating fear among Nigerians. Authorities also claimed that the former governor knowingly associated with individuals involved in the illegal act without reporting them to relevant authorities.
El-Rufai, however, pleaded not guilty to all charges when he was arraigned before the court. His legal team argued that the former governor had no intention of evading trial and urged the court to grant him bail on liberal terms. The court subsequently approved the bail application while ordering accelerated hearing of the case due to its sensitive national security implications.
The case has continued to attract national attention because of the high-profile figures involved and the serious allegations surrounding surveillance, political rivalry and national security. Political observers believe the trial could become one of the most closely watched legal battles in Nigeria’s recent political history as tensions continue to build ahead of future political alignments and elections.
