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By Philip Nwosu
Security agents, yesterday, allegedly moved against the former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, upon his return from Cairo, Egypt.
This was made known by his media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, in a post on X. He stated that operatives approached el-Rufai shortly after he disembarked from his flight but the former governor declined to accompany them in the absence of a formal invitation.
“Security agents today attempted to arrest Mallam Nasir El-Rufai as he arrived from Cairo. He declined to follow them without a formal invitation. They, however, snatched his international passport from an aide,” Adekeye wrote.
Counsel to el-Rufai, Ubong Akpan, described the incident as a flagrant violation of constitutional rights and executive overreach, alleging that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) moved to detain the former governor without presenting a warrant or formal invitation.
In a statement, Akpan said el-Rufai requested to see a letter of invitation but none was produced. He alleged that the operatives subsequently ‘physically snatched’ the former governor’s international passport from an aide, describing the act as unlawful and a violation of property rights.
Akpan further disclosed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had in December, while the former governor was away, delivered an invitation to his residence, which his legal team considered impractical at the time.
According to the counsel, the team had formally assured the EFCC of el-Rufai’s willingness to comply and notified the agency on February 11, 2026, that he would voluntarily appear at its office by 10am on Monday, February 16.
Despite this, Akpan said the attempted arrest proceeded.
The lawyer cited alleged infringements on el-Rufai’s constitutional rights, including rights to personal liberty, fair hearing, dignity of the human person, freedom of movement and ownership of property.
“There exists no justifiable basis for this attempted arrest or the accompanying mistreatment. Despite prior intelligence of plans to effect this arrest, El-Rufai proceeded with his return following medical treatment and rest abroad, publicly affirming his commitment to face any legitimate inquiry. This premeditated interception at the airport exemplifies lawlessness and an abuse of state power,” the statement read.
Akpan demanded the immediate return of el-Rufai’s passport, cessation of what he termed unlawful attempts to detain him and a formal apology from the authorities.
He maintained that the former governor would not evade law enforcement and would honour all legitimate summons without preconditions.
The development came amid recent claims by el-Rufai that he could face a politically motivated arrest upon his return to Nigeria. He had also alleged that some of his associates were being detained following his criticisms of the current administration.
As of the time of filing this report, security agencies had not issued any official response to the allegations.
Meanwhile, el-Rufai has condemned what he described as an illegal attempt by security operatives to arrest him at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, following his arrival from Cairo, Egypt.
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He made this known in a post on his verified X handle yesterday, where he accused authorities of executive overreach and disregard for the rule of law.
He said: “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.”
As of the time of filing this report, no official statement has been issued by security agencies to clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident or to confirm whether El-Rufai is under investigation.
The development has sparked renewed debate over the conduct of security agencies and concerns about alleged executive overreach, particularly involving opposition figures and former public office holders.
The former governor had recently criticised Senate President Godswill Akpabio, following the Senate’s rejection of a proposed amendment to the Electoral Act that sought to make real-time electronic transmission of election results mandatory.
He had spoken in an interview with Trust TV, blaming Akpabio for the Senate’s decision and accusing him of influencing the outcome.
He said: “It’s not the Senate that is the problem. Akpabio, who is a scumbag by every definition, is the problem. He is nothing but a lapdog. The senators will have to come together and protest to prevent that from happening when they reconvene.”
When asked whether his comments were too harsh, the former governor maintained his stance, saying, “I do not consider him distinguished. We’ve known each other since the 1990s. He knows why.”
Also, the former governor had been at loggerheads with the present government of President Bola Tinubu, insisting that Tinubu would not win the 2027 presidential election.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, has criticised El-Rufai over his recent remarks concerning President Tinubu’s chances in the 2027 presidential election.
El-Rufai, during an interview on Arise Television, had stated that President Tinubu would require a “miracle” to secure re-election in 2027. He claimed that a poll conducted by his group across several regions, particularly in the South-East and the North, showed a 91 percent disapproval rating for the president, adding that the rating in Lagos stood at 78 percent.
Reacting in a post on X on Wednesday, Onanuga referenced a remark made by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in his three-part memoir, ‘My Watch,’ in which he commented on el-Rufai’s character.
Quoting from the memoir, Onanuga said el-Rufai has a tendency to elevate himself beyond his actual standing and is often inclined toward damaging reputations.
“el-Rufai’s penchant for reputation savaging is almost pathological. Why does he do it? Very early in my interaction with him, I appreciated his talent,” Onanuga quoted Obasanjo as writing.
“At the same time, I recognised his weaknesses; the worst being his inability to be loyal to anybody or any issue consistently for long, but only to Nasir El-Rufai,” the excerpt read.
