Former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, has addressed an alleged attempt by security operatives to detain him on Thursday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, shortly after his return from Cairo, Egypt. The incident drew national attention after a video showing El-Rufai engaging security personnel at the airport circulated widely on social media, prompting intense public reactions. Reacting via X, the former governor said the matter was already being handled by his lawyers. “My lawyers have issued a statement that condemns the illegal attempt to arrest me today at the Abuja airport upon my arrival from Cairo.” “Our country must outgrow executive overreach and deliberate disregard for the rule of law.” A more detailed position was later released by his legal team on Facebook, where they described the incident as “a flagrant violation of constitutional rights, executive overreach, and a deliberate disregard for the rule of law.” According to the lawyers, El-Rufai had earlier been invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission while he was outside Nigeria, making immediate compliance impossible. “The invitation from the EFCC was delivered to Malam El-Rufai’s residence while he was already abroad, rendering it inherently illogical and impractical to demand immediate attendance.” They disclosed that since December 2025, they had been in formal communication with the EFCC, assuring the commission that El-Rufai would honour the invitation upon his return. The commission was also informed that he would voluntarily report to the EFCC office by 10:00 a.m. on Monday, February 16, 2026. Despite this, the lawyers alleged that operatives of the Department of State Services attempted to arrest El-Rufai immediately after he arrived in Abuja aboard Egypt Air flight MS 877, without presenting any warrant or written invitation. “When he calmly demanded to see the letter of invitation, a basic entitlement of any citizen facing state action, none could be produced. No document, no signed directive, no lawful process.” The legal team further alleged that El-Rufai’s international passport was seized without lawful authority, describing the action as an unlawful confiscation of private property. They also claimed that some members of the public at the airport protested the move, insisting that any arrest must follow due legal process. The statement said the incident violated multiple provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), including the rights to personal liberty, fair hearing, dignity of the human person, freedom of movement, and property. “There exists no justifiable basis for this attempted arrest or the accompanying mistreatment.” The lawyers added that El-Rufai returned to Nigeria despite prior intelligence suggesting plans to arrest him, stressing that he was willing to submit himself to any lawful investigation. They demanded the immediate return of his passport, a halt to all alleged unlawful attempts to detain him, and a formal apology from the agencies involved. They also warned that legal action would be taken against those responsible, while maintaining that El-Rufai would comply with all legitimate summons and had no intention of evading law enforcement. The statement was signed by Mr. Ubong Esop Akpan of the Chambers of Ubong Akpan, counsel to Malam Nasir El-Rufai, and dated February 12, 2026. The development follows recent remarks by El-Rufai suggesting he could be targeted for arrest by the Federal Government. Speaking during an interview with BBC Hausa, the former governor expressed concerns over what he described as growing political intimidation of opposition figures, particularly after his defection from the All Progressives Congress to the African Democratic Congress. “Four people we worked together in Kaduna have been arrested; so it’s only a matter of time before they come for me too.”
