The State Security Service (SSS) on Wednesday night arrested former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai as soon as he was released by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

El-Rufai has been detained by the EFCC over corruption allegations since Monday.

He was granted bail at about 8 pm on Wednesday but was immediately picked up by operatives of the SSS who laid an ambush for him at the premises of the EFCC headquarters, witnesses said.

The politician’s arrest by the SSS is linked to allegations that he unlawfully intercepted the phone communications of Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.

On Monday, the SSS charged him with cybercrimes before the Federal High Court in Abuja over the phone-tapping allegation.

Phone interception allegations

The case, filed as FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026, followed Mr El-Rufai’s remarks during a live Arise TV interview on Friday.

He claimed that the NSA’s phone was tapped and that he heard the NSA directing security operatives to detain him.

He alleged that the directive prompted an attempted arrest at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Thursday, where he exchanged heated words with security personnel. Witnesses said officials briefly confiscated his international passport before escorting him out amid chants from supporters.

In response to the interview, SSS prosecutors filed cybercrime charges against Mr El-Rufai on Monday.

The prosecution said he admitted to intercepting the NSA’s communications, failed to report others who conducted unlawful interceptions, and compromised public safety and national security by using technical systems to tap the NSA’s phone.

The alleged acts were said to violate provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024, and the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003. No arraignment date has been fixed, and Mr El-Rufai has not publicly responded to the charges.

As Christians and Muslims in Nigeria and across the world mark the beginning of Lent and Ramadan, Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Governor Peter Mbah, has enjoined Nigerians of both faiths to see the unique convergence as a divine call to embrace values that promote unity, love, service and peaceful co-existence.

Governor Mbah noted that such remarkable coincidence was a reminder that while paths of worship may differ, Nigerians remain united in values of faith, sacrifice, compassion, and devotion to God espoused by the two religions.

This was contained in his message to the people of the state and Nigerians earlier on Ash Wednesday and while also fielding questions from newsmen after a Holy Mass to usher in the Lenten season at the Government House Chapel, Enugu.

“Lent calls Christians to prayer, fasting, penitence, almsgiving, and renewed commitment to love and service. Ramadan invites Muslims into a month of fasting, reflection, charity, and spiritual discipline.

“Both seasons teach restraint, deepen empathy for the less privileged, and strengthen our resolve to live in righteousness and peace” Mbah stated.

He also described Ash Wednesday and Lent as a season of sober reflections and cutting down on excesses, as man must ultimately return to dust.

“Ash Wednesday is also a reminder that we are from dust, and to dust we must return. So, for me, I think it is also a time for us to reflect on our actions and be a better version of who we are as leaders, as workers, as team players.

In his homily, the Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Most Reverend Calistus Onaga, called on Christians to uphold prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, which he described as the three cardinal principles of Lenten season.

..,fakes robbery story

A 27-year-old bank employee was found with her throat slit after a “robbery incident” but investigation has now led to the arrest of her husband — a chartered accountant.

Investigators said the accused k!lled his wife over repeated suspicions about her character and then attempted to pass it off as a robbery-cum-murder.

The victim, Mahak, worked with HDFC Bank in Gurgaon, India.

She was married to Anshul Dhawan, a chartered accountant and resident of Hisar’s Sector 14, on September 25, 2025, in an arranged marriage.

The couple had been married for barely five months.

On Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2026, the couple visited Hisar and stayed with family.

The next evening, around 7 pm on February 15, they left Mahak’s parental home in Hansi for Gurugram. About four hours later, Anshul called the police, claiming unidentified attackers had intercepted their car near Pahsaur village in the Badli area of Jhajjar district, k!lled his wife, and fled.

Police found Mahak’s body lying outside the car on a dirt track about 100 metres off the Jhajjar-Badli road. Her throat had been slit.

However, Anshul’s version soon fell apart during questioning. He failed to describe the alleged attackers and repeatedly changed his statement.

During sustained interrogation and a crime scene reconstruction, Anshul confessed.

Police said the couple frequently argued over his suspicions about Mahak’s character. The dispute escalated during the drive, leading him to first str@ngle her and then sl!t her throat with a pair of scissors, allegedly while wearing gloves to avoid leaving evidence.

He later staged the scene to resemble a robbery.

Mahak’s father, Krishna Kathuria, had expressed suspicion against his son-in-law from the outset. Family members also stated that Mahak was pregnant at the time of her de@th.

Police have arrested the accused and are proceeding with further investigation.