Nigeria, Feb. 20 -- Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has re-emerged on the national stage with his familiar intensity, and in a recent interview on Arise Television, the former Governor of Kaduna State made assertions of such gravity that they transcend partisan banter.

He alleged that the telephone of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, was intercepted and that he listened to conversations purportedly discussing plans to arrest or abduct him upon his return to Nigeria. When pressed by the interviewer, Charles Aniagolu, on the illegality of such interception, he reportedly acknowledged the infraction but rationalised it on the premise that government actors "also listen to our calls."

This is not trivial.

The principle of onus probandi, t...