DSS re-arraigns El-Rufai over alleged phone tapping case

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, was on Monday re-arraigned at 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 the court premises at about 8:55 a.m. under heavy security, as operatives of the DSS cordoned off the area, restricting access to the court complex.

The restriction temporarily prevented journalists, court staff, and members of the public from entering the premises, sparking a brief protest.

Leading the brief, activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, criticised the move, insisting that court proceedings should remain open to the public.

“El-Rufai’s arraignment should not deny Nigerians access to a public facility,” he argued during the protest.

Meanwhile, a source at the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), who spoke anonymously, disclosed that DSS operatives had arrived at the agency’s facility as early as 7:00 a.m. to take custody of the former governor ahead of the court appearance.

“The case is not ours. DSS operatives came to pick him up around 7:00 a.m. for arraignment,” the source said.

The re-arraignment is part of ongoing legal proceedings involving allegations that El-Rufai authorised or was involved in the tapping of the National Security Adviser’s phone, a claim that has heightened political and legal tensions.