Lawyer asks DSS, ONSA to probe el-Rufai over alleged tapping of Ribadu’s phone

Pelumi Olajengbesi, a lawyer, has asked Department of State Services (DSS) and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to investigate Nasir el-Rufai, the former Kaduna governor, over the “public admission” that he “procured” the tapping and recording of the telephone conversations of Nuhu Ribadu, the NSA.

In an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time, el-Rufai said “someone tapped” Ribadu’s phone, allowing him to listen to a conversation where the NSA “ordered” his arrest.

Olajengbesi, in a statement on Sunday, said that it is not a “matter of political drama or public banter”.

“It is, in substance, an allegation of a grave criminal enterprise which strikes directly at the heart of Nigeria’s national security architecture and the integrity of the Nigerian State,” the lawyer said.

He noted that the deliberate interception, tapping, or recording of private telephone communications without lawful authority is a serious criminal offence under the Cybercrimes Act, “particularly Section 8, which criminalises unlawful interception of electronic communications”.

Olajengbesi noted that the situation is especially troubling given the position of the alleged victim, who is responsible for safeguarding sensitive intelligence and national defence communications.

“Any unauthorised tapping of the NSA’s communication is not merely an offence against an individual; it is an offence against the sovereignty and security of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, raising the spectre of espionage, sabotage, and unlawful intelligence gathering, acts that demand urgent investigation and decisive prosecution under the law,” he said.

Earlier, Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on information and strategy, called for a thorough investigation into el-Rufai’s comments on tapping Ribadu’s phone.

He described el-Rufai’s disclosure as a “confession” and questioned whether he and his unnamed “collaborators” have access to wire-tapping facilities. (The Cable)