ABUJA — Prominent human rights lawyer and legal practitioner, Inibehe Effiong, has punched holes in the Federal Government’s latest legal offensive against former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, describing the newly filed cybercrime charges as a “procedural somersault.”
Speaking on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, Effiong questioned the legal logic behind filing a criminal charge against a suspect who hasn’t even been sat down for an official interrogation.
The “Interrogation” Gap
The controversy stems from a 3-count charge filed by the State Security Service (SSS) at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, February 16. The charges follow El-Rufai’s bombshell televised “confession” last Friday, where he admitted to tapping the phone of National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu.
However, Effiong pointed out a glaring red flag: as of the moment the charges were filed, the SSS had not breathed a word to El-Rufai in an official capacity.
“In which serious jurisdiction do you file a charge without interrogating the suspect?” Effiong queried. “As of yesterday, when this charge was filed, the State Security Service had not spoken to El-Rufai. You cannot build a criminal case solely on a television interview that wasn’t even conducted under caution.”
The “DSS” Doesn’t Exist in Law
In a move that challenged the very foundation of the prosecution, Effiong also took a swipe at the identity of the agency filing the suit. He noted that the term “Department of State Services (DSS)”—the name used in the court filings—is a ghost in the eyes of Nigerian law.
- The SSS Factor: Effiong argued that the National Security Agencies Act only recognizes the State Security Service (SSS).
- Power to Prosecute:Â He further contended that the SSS lacks the statutory power to initiate criminal prosecutions in court, a role typically reserved for the Attorney General or the Police.
Monday’s Double Trouble
While the SSS was busy at the High Court, El-Rufai was occupied at the EFCC headquarters. Honoring a 10:00 a.m. invitation on Monday, February 16, the former Governor was reportedly detained by the anti-graft agency regarding a long-standing ₦423 billion misappropriation probe from his time in Kaduna.
“The government seems to be in a race to see who can slap the most charges on him first,” an observer noted at the EFCC premises. “But if the foundation of these charges is shaky, they will collapse in court.”
“Vengeance over Justice”
For Effiong, the speed at which the cybercrime charges were drafted—barely 72 hours after the televised interview—suggests a motive of “political vengeance” rather than a quest for justice. He warned that the government’s “desperation” to ground El-Rufai might end up making the former Governor look like a political martyr.
With his international passport already seized and the EFCC holding him over financial allegations, the addition of the cybercrime suit confirms that the “gloves are off” in the battle between the Presidency and its former ally.
