Onanuga calls for probe into El-Rufai’s alleged wire-tapping claims

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu, has urged a thorough investigation into allegations of wire-tapping made by former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai.

The call came after El-Rufai, in an interview on ARISE TV Prime Time, claimed that the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, ordered his arrest following an alleged failed attempt to detain him at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on Thursday.

El-Rufai accused the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) of using the Department of State Services to execute the operation.

He alleged that Ribadu personally authorised the action and that he knew because “we listened to their calls,” claiming his team had intercepted communications.

Reacting on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, Onanuga said El-Rufai’s statements amounted to an admission of illegal wire-tapping and should attract legal scrutiny.

“El-Rufai confesses to wire-tapping Nigeria’s NSA on TV,” Onanuga tweeted.

“Does it mean that he and his collaborators have wire-tapping facilities? This should be thoroughly investigated and punishment meted out.

” El-Rufai is not too big to face the wrath of the law.”

Meanwhile, human rights lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju described the attempted arrest as “karma” catching up with El-Rufai but expressed skepticism over claims of a concrete arrest plan.

Adeyanju noted that Nigerian law requires either a court-issued warrant or probable cause for lawful arrests and maintained that proper legal mechanisms exist for detaining anyone, including a former governor.