EFCC, DSS attempt arrest of ex-governor El-Rufai at Abuja airport without warrant

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

Security operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) on Thursday afternoon attempted to arrest former Kaduna State Governor Malam Nasir El-Rufai upon his arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, in an incident his lawyers have described as “illegal” and a “flagrant violation of constitutional rights.”

El-Rufai arrived aboard Egypt Air flight MS 877 from Cairo, where he had undergone medical treatment. His legal team said he was met at the airport by DSS operatives who moved to arrest him without presenting any warrant or formal invitation letter.

According to a statement issued by his counsel, Ubong Esop Akpan, when El-Rufai calmly demanded to see the letter of invitation “a basic entitlement of any citizen facing state action,” none could be produced. Operatives subsequently seized his international passport, an act the lawyers termed “nothing short of stealing.”

The incident triggered a spontaneous reaction from ordinary Nigerians present at the airport, who surrounded the scene and insisted that the former governor could only be arrested upon a legitimate process. Their intervention, the statement noted, was “a testament to the citizenry’s unyielding commitment to the rule of law.”

The controversy stems from an invitation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which was delivered to El-Rufai’s residence while he was already abroad. His lawyers described the demand for immediate attendance as “inherently illogical and impractical.”

In response, the legal team formally communicated with the EFCC on El-Rufai’s behalf since December 2025, assuring compliance upon his return. On Wednesday, they explicitly notified the anti-graft agency that the former governor would voluntarily appear at their office by 10:00 a.m. on Monday, February 16, 2026.

“Resorting to arrest despite this clear commitment exemplifies arbitrary conduct and undermines procedural integrity,” Akpan’s statement read.

The legal team has issued a firm public declaration that El-Rufai “will never take the cowardly route of running away from law enforcement” and will honour “all legitimate law enforcement summons without preconditions.”

The lawyers demanded the immediate cessation of all unlawful efforts to detain their client, the immediate return of his seized passport, and a formal apology for what they described as an “egregious infringement on his dignity and rights.”

They also vowed to pursue legal action against all persons and agencies responsible for the incident, stating: “The judiciary remains the ultimate arbiter, and we shall seek redress through all available legal channels to protect the sanctity of the law.”

As of press time, the EFCC and DSS had not issued official statements regarding the incident.