By Obinna Uballa
Fresh controversy has erupted over the aborted arrest of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, with the Department of State Services (DSS) detaining five security operatives linked to the incident.
The arrests followed a joint investigation involving the DSS, the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Nigeria Customs Service and the Federal Ministry of Aviation.
Those detained include Ayuba Yakubu, an Assistant Superintendent of Police; Murtala Inuwa of the DSS; Najeeb Murtala, an Assistant Superintendent of Immigration; and two Aviation Security (AVSEC) officials, Musa Adamu and Salihu Victor.
El-Rufai had returned to Nigeria from Egypt on February 12, 2026, when DSS operatives reportedly attempted to arrest him at the airport but were unsuccessful. His spokesperson, Muyiwa Adekeye, later alleged that security officials seized the former governor’s international passport after he declined to accompany them without a formal invitation. According to Adekeye, the passport was taken from one of El-Rufai’s aides.
Three days after the airport drama, the former governor honoured an invitation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He was subsequently released and is currently in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over separate matters.
Findings from the inter-agency probe indicate that the detained officers allegedly confessed to receiving bribes to facilitate unauthorised entry into restricted areas of the airport and to obstruct lawful security operations.
A report from one of the investigating agencies stated that the officers admitted accepting inducements to grant access to restricted zones in an “unprecedented manner.” They have since been handed over to the ICPC for prosecution.
The report further disclosed that other personnel from the Immigration and Customs services, whose actions were deemed non-criminal but inappropriate, would face administrative sanctions for allegedly abusing their uniforms to enable unauthorised access.
Meanwhile, El-Rufai’s N1bn fundamental rights enforcement suit suffered a setback at the Federal High Court, Abuja, due to the absence of counsel representing the respondents.
When the case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/345/2026, came up before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, only Ubong Akpan appeared for the applicant. He informed the court that the matter was scheduled for mention but that the respondents had not yet been served with court processes, necessitating an adjournment. The judge subsequently adjourned the case until March 11.
In the suit filed by his lead counsel, Oluwole Iyamu (SAN), El-Rufai is challenging the validity of a search warrant issued by a Chief Magistrate of the Federal Capital Territory. He is asking the court to declare the warrant null and void, arguing that it lacked specificity, contained drafting errors, was overbroad in scope and unsupported by probable cause.
The former governor contends that the search of his residence at 12 Mambilla Street, Asokoro, Abuja, on February 19 by operatives of the ICPC and the police violated his constitutional rights to dignity, personal liberty, fair hearing and privacy under the 1999 Constitution.
He is seeking N1bn in general, exemplary and aggravated damages, including N300m for psychological trauma, N400m as exemplary damages to deter future misconduct and N300m as aggravated damages for alleged oppressive conduct. He also claims N100m as the cost of filing the suit.
The ICPC, however, has maintained in court filings before the Federal Capital Territory High Court that its operatives acted lawfully under a valid search warrant issued on February 18 and executed the following day between 1:37 pm and 3:56 pm.
Adding another twist to the saga, El-Rufai’s wife, Hadiza, dismissed claims that “wiretapping equipment” was recovered from their Abuja residence. Reacting on social media, she said the items seized included her bank tokens, insisting they were not surveillance devices.
Her son, Mohammed El-Rufai, representing Kaduna North Federal Constituency, also described the allegations as false and politically motivated.
Earlier in February, El-Rufai had alleged that the phone of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, was tapped, enabling him to overhear a conversation in which his arrest was allegedly ordered, a claim that further deepened the unfolding controversy.
