February 22, 2026 — SUNTV Global Channel
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately withdraw Nigeria’s Lawful Interception of Communications Regulations, 2019, describing the rules as unconstitutional and dangerous to citizens’ rights.
In a letter dated February 21, 2026, signed by its deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation urged the president to direct Communications Minister Bosun Tijani to scrap the regulations and begin a transparent legislative process to create a new framework that complies with constitutional safeguards and international human rights standards.
The call follows recent allegations by former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who claimed that a phone conversation involving National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu had been intercepted.
El-Rufai alleged in an interview that authorities routinely tap communications, stating that Ribadu’s call was monitored and that discussions about his possible arrest were overheard.
SERAP warned that the 2019 regulations create what it described as a sweeping mass-surveillance regime that threatens Nigerians’ constitutional rights to privacy and freedom of expression. According to the group, the rules grant broad interception powers under vague grounds such as national security, economic wellbeing, and public emergency, without adequate judicial oversight or transparency.
The organisation also raised concerns about the potential misuse of such powers ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, warning that unchecked surveillance could be weaponised against political opponents, journalists, civil society actors, and election observers.
SERAP stressed that surveillance measures lacking strict legal safeguards, necessity, and proportionality could undermine democratic processes, discourage political participation, and erode public trust.
Among its key concerns, the group highlighted warrantless interception, weak judicial oversight, unclear data-retention rules, and provisions that could compel disclosure of encryption keys — all of which it said pose risks to journalists, lawyers, and human rights defenders.
The organisation gave the federal government seven days to act on its recommendations, warning that it may initiate legal action if no response is received.
SERAP maintained that interception powers in a democratic society must be clearly defined, subject to independent judicial approval, and implemented with strong safeguards to protect citizens’ fundamental rights.
