Counsel Alleges Unlawful Attempted Arrest of El-Rufai at Abuja Airport, Demands Apology
Counsel to former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, has condemned what he described as an unlawful attempted arrest of his client by security operatives at the Nnamdi Azikiwe
International Airport, Abuja.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Ubong Esop Akpan of The Chambers of Ubong Akpan alleged that security operatives, identified as officials of the Department of State Services (DSS), attempted to arrest El-Rufai upon his arrival in Abuja aboard Egypt Air flight MS 877 from Cairo.
According to the statement, the attempted arrest followed an invitation reportedly issued by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Akpan stated that the invitation was delivered to El-Rufai’s residence while he was abroad and that his legal team had since December 2025 communicated with the EFCC, assuring the commission of his client’s willingness to honour the invitation upon his return to Nigeria.
The counsel further claimed that the EFCC was formally notified that El-Rufai would voluntarily appear at its office by 10:00 a.m. on Monday, February 16, 2026, to respond to the allegations.
He described the attempt to arrest his client despite this arrangement as “arbitrary” and a violation of due process.
Akpan alleged that upon arrival at the airport, security operatives moved to arrest El-Rufai without presenting a warrant or formal letter of invitation. He also claimed that the operatives seized El-Rufai’s international passport without lawful authority.
The statement further asserted that some Nigerians present at the airport protested the attempted arrest, insisting that due process be followed.
Citing provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), the legal team argued that the attempted arrest infringed on several fundamental rights, including the right to personal liberty (Section 35), right to fair hearing (Section 36), right to dignity of the human person (Section 34), right to freedom of movement (Section 41), and right to own property (Section 44).
Akpan maintained that El-Rufai had returned to Nigeria after medical treatment and rest abroad and had publicly expressed his readiness to respond to any legitimate inquiry. He described the interception at the airport as a “premeditated” action and an abuse of state power.
The legal team demanded the immediate return of El-Rufai’s passport, the cessation of what it termed unlawful efforts to detain him, and a formal apology from the relevant authorities.
It also indicated that legal action would be pursued against individuals and agencies allegedly involved in the incident.
As of the time of filing this report, the DSS and EFCC had not issued an official response to the allegations.
