Former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai was on Monday re-arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja by the Department of State Services (DSS) over allegations of illegally tapping the phone of the National Security Adviser.

El-Rufai was brought to court around 8:55am under heavy security, with DSS operatives restricting access to parts of the court premises, triggering a brief protest led by activist Omoyele Sowore, who argued that court proceedings should remain open to the public.

A source at the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) confirmed that DSS officials picked up El-Rufai from the agency’s custody earlier in the morning for the court appearance.