ABUJA – The high-stakes feud between former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu has taken a dark and potentially criminal turn, shifting from public insults to allegations of high-level espionage.
On Sunday, Abuja-based lawyer Pelumi Olajengbesi moved to escalate the matter, formally asking the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to probe El-Rufai over what he called a “public admission” of illegal phone tapping.
The Smoking Gun on Live TV?
The controversy stems from an interview on Arise Television, during which El-Rufai claimed that “someone tapped” Ribadu’s phone. The former governor went on to suggest he had listened to a recorded conversation where the NSA allegedly “ordered” his arrest.
For Olajengbesi, this wasn’t just a political “gotcha” moment—it was a confession of a major security breach.
“This is not a matter of political drama or public banter,” Olajengbesi said in a strongly worded statement. “It is an allegation of a grave criminal enterprise which strikes directly at the heart of Nigeria’s national security architecture.”
National Security at Risk
The lawyer argued that if a private citizen can openly brag about having access to the intercepted communications of the nation’s top security officer, then the integrity of the Nigerian State is in jeopardy. Under Nigerian law, unauthorized wiretapping is a serious offense that carries heavy prison time.
Olajengbesi is now pushing the DSS to find out exactly who did the tapping, who “procured” the recordings, and how many other top government officials are currently being monitored by “private” interests.
A Rivalry Spiraling Out of Control
This “spy-gate” scandal is just the latest chapter in a bitter war of words. Only days ago, the ONSA challenged El-Rufai to bring proof to the DSS regarding his separate claim that the government had imported thallium sulphate—a deadly, odorless poison.
While El-Rufai’s camp views these moves as an attempt to “silence a whistleblower,” his critics see a pattern of dangerous allegations intended to destabilize the security community.
What Happens Next?
As of Monday morning, the DSS has not officially confirmed if it will invite the former governor for questioning based on the lawyer’s petition. However, legal experts say that admitting to possessing “tapped” phone calls of a sitting NSA is a legal minefield that could lead to charges under the Cybercrimes Act.
The ball is now in the court of the State Security Services to decide if El-Rufai is a witness to a crime or the primary suspect in a security breach.
