Lawyers representing former Kaduna State Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai on Thursday alleged that security operatives attempted to arrest him at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, upon his arrival from Cairo, describing the action as unlawful and a violation of his constitutional rights.
In a statement issued in Abuja and signed by Ubong Esop Akpan of The Chambers of Ubong Akpan, counsel to El-Rufai, the legal team said operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) moved to arrest their client shortly after he arrived aboard Egypt Air flight MS 877 on Thursday afternoon.
The statement said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had earlier delivered an invitation to El-Rufai’s residence while he was abroad, requesting his attendance over unspecified allegations. According to the lawyers, they had formally communicated with the EFCC since December 2025, assuring the commission of his willingness to comply upon his return to Nigeria.
The counsel further stated that on Wednesday, they notified the EFCC that El-Rufai would voluntarily appear at the commission’s office by 10:00 a.m. on Monday, February 16, 2026.
Despite that notification, the lawyers alleged that DSS operatives attempted to arrest El-Rufai at the airport without presenting a warrant or formal letter of invitation. They also alleged that his international passport was seized during the encounter.
The statement claimed that bystanders at the airport questioned the operatives’ actions and demanded that due process be followed.
El-Rufai’s legal team argued that the attempted arrest violated provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), including sections relating to personal liberty, fair hearing, dignity of the human person, freedom of movement, and property rights.
They demanded the immediate return of El-Rufai’s passport and called for what they described as a cessation of unlawful efforts to detain him. The lawyers also indicated that legal action would be pursued against those responsible.
As of the time of filing this report, the Department of State Services and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had not issued official responses to the allegations.
