El-Rufai Alleges Illegal Arrest Attempt at Abuja Airport

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has accused security operatives of attempting to unlawfully arrest him at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, describing the development as executive overreach and a violation of his constitutional rights.

El-Rufai, who recently defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), arrived in Abuja on Thursday aboard Egypt Air flight MS 877 from Cairo. He was received at the airport by a crowd of supporters.

Tension reportedly arose shortly after his arrival when armed security operatives approached him and asked him to accompany them.

An aide to the former governor, Muyiwa Adekeye, disclosed in a post on X that the officers attempted to escort El-Rufai away without presenting any official document. According to him, individuals present at the scene intervened, insisting that the former governor should not follow the operatives without proper authorisation.

El-Rufai was said to have demanded a formal invitation or warrant, which, according to his aide, was not produced. Videos circulating online showed supporters hurriedly ushering him and his wife into a Sport Utility Vehicle as they exited the airport.

In a post on his X account, El-Rufai condemned what he described as an illegal attempt to arrest him, stating that his lawyers had formally protested the action.

“Our country must outgrow executive overreach,” he wrote.

His counsel, Ubong Akpan of the Chambers of Ubong Akpan, also issued a statement alleging that security operatives moved to detain his client without a warrant or signed directive. The lawyer described the incident as a “flagrant violation of constitutional rights” and claimed that El-Rufai’s international passport was seized during the encounter.

Akpan further revealed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had earlier invited El-Rufai while he was abroad. He said the invitation was delivered to the former governor’s residence at a time when he was outside the country, making immediate compliance impracticable.

According to the lawyer, correspondence had since been exchanged with the EFCC, assuring the commission that El-Rufai would honour the invitation upon his return. He added that the anti-graft agency had been informed that the former governor would appear at its office by 10 a.m. on Monday, February 16, 2026.

“Resorting to arrest despite this clear commitment exemplifies arbitrary conduct and undermines procedural integrity,” Akpan said, insisting that his client would comply with any legitimate law-enforcement summons.

However, security sources disclosed that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), and not the EFCC, were involved in the airport incident.

A source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, maintained that although El-Rufai had been invited by the EFCC, the anti-graft agency was not responsible for the airport drama. The source added that the DSS action did not amount to an arrest.

“I don’t think they were out to arrest him. If that was the case, nothing would have prevented them from taking him away,” the source said, noting that the operatives obtained what they required during the encounter.

As of the time of filing this report, neither the DSS nor the EFCC had issued an official statement on the incident, and efforts to obtain their reactions were unsuccessful.

The episode has since sparked debate over due process and the conduct of security agencies, further intensifying political tensions ahead of the 2027 general elections.