KEY POINTS

• El-Rufai was confronted by security operatives at Abuja airport shortly after arriving from Cairo, leading to a public standoff.
• His legal team says officers tried to arrest him without a warrant and seized his passport unlawfully.
• Authorities have yet to confirm involvement, while his lawyers insist he already agreed to appear before the EFCC voluntarily.

What should have been a routine arrival turned dramatic when former Kaduna State governor Nasir El‑Rufai was confronted by security operatives shortly after landing at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport from Cairo.

Witnesses said the encounter between El-Rufai and the security operatives quickly escalated into a tense exchange that drew attention from passengers, airport staff, and onlookers.

Short videos circulating online captured the former governor standing his ground while plain-clothed officers tried to persuade him to leave the public terminal area with them.

In one clip, he insisted that any official summons must follow legal procedure and be delivered formally rather than verbally.

Alleged attempt to arrest El-Rufai without warrant

According to a statement from his aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, the operatives attempted to take him into custody immediately after disembarkation but did not present a warrant or written invitation.

The aide of El-Rufai alleged the officers were from the Department of State Services, though no agency publicly confirmed responsibility for the operation as of late Thursday night.

El-Rufai’s legal team said the absence of documentation made the attempted arrest unlawful. They argued that requesting a written invitation is a basic legal right and that no such document was shown when he demanded it.

The situation reportedly worsened when operatives allegedly confiscated the former governor’s international passport from one of his aides during the confrontation.

His lawyers described the action as illegal and a violation of his constitutional rights, citing protections covering liberty, dignity, movement, fair hearing, and property ownership.

Observers at the airport reportedly protested what they viewed as heavy-handed tactics, urging officials to follow due process if any investigation was underway.

The legal team stated that an invitation letter from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had been delivered to El-Rufai’s residence while he was abroad for medical treatment, making immediate compliance impossible.

They said they had been communicating with the commission since December 2025 and had already informed authorities that he would appear voluntarily at the EFCC office by 10:00 a.m. on Monday, February 16, 2026.