The Department of State Security (DSS) on Wednesday night rearrested former Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai shortly after he was released on bail by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Mallam el-Rufai had been detained by the EFCC since Monday over corruption allegations. He was granted bail around 8 p.m. on Wednesday but was immediately taken into custody by SSS operatives who were reportedly stationed at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja.

His arrest by the DSS is linked to allegations that he unlawfully intercepted the phone communications of Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.

On Monday, the SSS filed cybercrime charges against el-Rufai before the Federal High Court in Abuja in a case marked FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026. The charges followed comments he made during a live interview on Arise Television last Friday.

During the interview, Mr el-Rufai claimed that the NSA’s phone conversation had been tapped and that he heard instructions allegedly directing security operatives to detain him. He said the directive led to an attempted arrest at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport last Thursday, shortly after he returned from Cairo, Egypt.

Videos circulating online showed a brief confrontation between security personnel and the former governor’s entourage at the airport. Witnesses said his international passport was temporarily confiscated before he was escorted away amid chants from supporters.

In the cybercrime charge, DSS prosecutors alleged that el-Rufai admitted to intercepting the NSA’s communications, failed to report unlawful interceptions carried out by others, and compromised national security by using technical systems to access restricted communications. The alleged offences are said to contravene provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024, and the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.
No arraignment date has been announced, and Mr El-Rufai has yet to publicly respond to the cybercrime charges.

The development comes amid mounting scrutiny of the former governor since leaving office. He has faced allegations of diverting public funds during his tenure, with the Kaduna State House of Assembly in 2024 calling for investigations into his administration. He has also been invited for questioning by the ICPC.
Mr El-Rufai, who supported President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election, later fell out politically with the president after his ministerial nomination did not materialise. He subsequently joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and has vowed to work with opposition figures to challenge the president’s re-election bid in 2027.