The Federal High Court on Monday granted N100 million bail to the detained former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, who is standing trial over allegations that he unlawfully intercepted the telephone communications of National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
Delivering the ruling in Abuja, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik imposed stringent conditions for the former governor’s release, ordering him to produce a surety who must be a federal civil servant not below Grade Level 17.
The court further ruled that the surety must reside in either the Maitama or Asokoro districts of Abuja and must deposit the original Certificate of Occupancy of a landed property valued at not less than the bail sum.
In addition, the surety was directed to present evidence of salary payments for at least three months, accompanied by an authenticated letter from a bank manager within the court’s jurisdiction, depose to an affidavit of means, submit a recent passport photograph, and provide a verification letter from the immediate department alongside a tax clearance certificate covering the last six months.
Justice Abdulmalik also ordered El-Rufai to surrender all valid international passports and barred him from travelling outside the country without prior approval of the court.
Pending the determination of the case, the former governor was further ordered to report to the headquarters of the Department of State Services every last Friday of the month by 10 a.m. to sign an attendance register.
The court warned that any breach of the bail conditions would result in automatic revocation of the bail and also directed the defendant to submit a letter of attestation from the chairman of the Kaduna Traditional Council as it ordered accelerated hearing of the case.
El-Rufai, who governed Kaduna State between 2015 and 2023 and previously served as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, is facing a five-count amended charge marked FHC/ABJ/99/2026.
The DSS alleged that the former governor, alongside other suspects still at large, unlawfully intercepted the communications of the National Security Adviser, an offence said to contravene provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024.
According to the prosecution, El-Rufai allegedly made admissions during an appearance on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme on February 13, where he reportedly disclosed that he had access to information obtained through unlawful monitoring of Ribadu’s communications.
The security agency also alleged that the former governor admitted knowing an individual involved in the illegal interception but failed to report the crime to relevant authorities, thereby committing another offence under the Cybercrimes Act.
He was further accused of acting in concert with others to deploy technical equipment in a manner that compromised public safety, national security, and created widespread apprehension among Nigerians, contrary to provisions of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.
Although the prosecution initially filed a three-count charge, the court recently granted an application allowing it to replace the charges with an amended five-count charge.
El-Rufai has, however, challenged the case, urging the court to quash the charge on multiple legal grounds. In an application before the court, the former governor argued that the DSS lacked the legal basis to treat comments he made during a television interview as a confessional statement.
He maintained that remarks made during a live public interview could not, in law, be elevated to a judicial confession, insisting that such statements were made voluntarily, without caution, and outside the legal protections ordinarily afforded to suspects in custody.
The former governor is currently facing multiple legal battles in both Abuja and Kaduna as proceedings continue.
