El-Rufai speaks after alleged airport arrest attempt

Former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, has spoken up following an alleged attempt by security operatives to arrest him at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Thursday.

El-Rufai spoke after a video showing him confronting security personnel at the airport went viral on social media, sparking widespread reactions.

In a brief post on X (formerly Twitter), the former governor said his legal team had already responded to the incident.

“My lawyers have issued a statement that condemns the illegal attempt to arrest me today at the Abuja airport upon my arrival from Cairo,” El-Rufai wrote.

“Our country must outgrow executive overreach and deliberate disregard for the rule of law,” he said.

In a detailed statement later published on Facebook, El-Rufai’s lawyers described the incident as “a flagrant violation of constitutional rights, executive overreach, and a deliberate disregard for the rule of law.”

According to the legal team, El-Rufai had been invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)while he was already outside the country, a development they said made 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,” the statement said.

The lawyers disclosed that they had been in formal communication with the EFCC since December 2025, assuring the commission that El-Rufai would honour the invitation upon his return to Nigeria.

They added that the EFCC was specifically informed that he would voluntarily appear at its office by 10:00 a.m. on Monday, February 16, 2026.

Despite this assurance, the lawyers alleged that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS)moved to arrest El-Rufai upon his arrival from Cairo aboard Egypt Air flight MS 877, without presenting any warrant or formal 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 statement said.

The legal team further alleged that El-Rufai’s international passport was seized without lawful authority, describing the action as an unlawful taking of private property.

They also claimed that members of the public at the airport protested the attempted arrest, insisting that any arrest must follow due legal process.

According to the statement, the incident violated several provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), including the rights to personal liberty, a fair hearing, the dignity of the human person, freedom of movement, and the right to property.

“There exists no justifiable basis for this attempted arrest or the accompanying mistreatment,” the lawyers said, adding that El-Rufai returned to the country despite prior intelligence suggesting plans to arrest him, in order to face any legitimate inquiry.

The legal team demanded the immediate return of El-Rufai’s passport, an end to all alleged unlawful efforts to detain him, and a formal apology from the agencies involved.

They also stressed that El-Rufai would not evade law enforcement and would honour all legitimate summons, warning that legal action would be taken against those responsible for what they described as unconstitutional conduct.

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.

Recently, the former Kaduna State Governor had alleged that he could be arrested by the Federal Government, claiming that recent developments indicate he may be the next target.

El-Rufai made the allegation during an interview with BBC Hausa, expressing concerns over what he described as growing political intimidation against opposition figures.

The former governor, who recently defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress to the African Democratic Congress, said some of his close associates had already been detained.

“Four people we worked together in Kaduna have been arrested; so it’s only a matter of time before they come for me too,” he said.