El-Rufai’s phone-tapping claim should be probed – President Tinubu’s aide Bayo Onanuga

Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on information and strategy, has called for a comprehensive investigation into comments made by former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai regarding an intercepted phone conversation involving the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.

In a post on X, Onanuga described El-Rufai’s remarks as a “confession” and raised concerns about the alleged access to surveillance capabilities.

“El-Rufai confesses to wire-tapping Nigeria’s NSA on TV. Does it mean that he and his collaborators have wire-tapping facilities?” Onanuga wrote. “This should be thoroughly investigated and punishment meted out. El-Rufai is not too big to face the wrath of the law.”

The reaction followed an interview El-Rufai granted on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme, where he claimed he had listened to a phone conversation in which Ribadu allegedly “ordered” his arrest.

According to El-Rufai, “someone tapped” the NSA’s phone and made the recording available to him. While acknowledging that such an action is illegal, he argued that the government itself engages in similar practices without court authorisation. “The government thinks they are the only ones that listen to calls but we also have our ways,” El-Rufai said. 

The exchange has sparked fresh debate over surveillance practices and the legality of intercepted communications in Nigeria’s political landscape.