Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed April 23, 2026, for the arraignment of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over alleged unlawful interception of communications.
The adjournment followed his absence in court on Wednesday when the matter came up for arraignment.
The Department of State Services (DSS) had filed a three-count charge against the former governor, accusing him of unlawfully intercepting communications.
The charges stem from comments he made during a television interview in which he allegedly claimed that he and others listened to conversations from the phone of Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
At the resumed hearing, counsel to the DSS, Oluwole Aladedoyin, informed the court that El-Rufai remains in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), where he is being investigated for alleged misappropriation of funds.
The court had earlier scheduled February 25 for his arraignment but was unable to proceed due to his absence.
Consequently, Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the matter to April 23 to enable the defendant appear before the court.
Earlier, the Federal Government, through the DSS, instituted the action at the Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division, listing the Federal Republic of Nigeria as the complainant and El-Rufai as the sole defendant.
According to the charge sheet, the government alleged that the former governor admitted during the interview that he and unnamed associates intercepted telephone conversations belonging to Ribadu.
While he reportedly acknowledged that such actions were unlawful, he was said to have suggested that illegal surveillance was not uncommon.
