The legal team of former Kaduna State Governor Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai has strongly condemned what it described as a “flagrant, unlawful and unconstitutional” attempt by security operatives to arrest him upon arrival at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Thursday, February 12, 2026.
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In a strongly worded statement issued the same day by his lead counsel, Ubong Esop Akpan of The Chambers of Ubong Akpan, the team accused agents of the Department of State Services (DSS) of attempting to detain El-Rufai without a warrant, court order or formal invitation, and physically snatching his international passport.
The statement reads in part: “This is executive overreach, a deliberate disregard for the rule of law and a direct assault on the constitutional rights of a citizen. No warrant was presented. No lawful process was followed. Only raw power was on display.”
Background to the Incident According to the statement, El-Rufai had been abroad for medical treatment and rest. While he was outside Nigeria, an invitation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was delivered to his residence.
His lawyers formally replied since December 2025, assuring the EFCC of his voluntary appearance upon return. On February 11, 2026, they explicitly notified the commission that El-Rufai would present himself at their office by 10:00 a.m. on Monday, February 16, 2026.
Despite this clear commitment, security operatives reportedly moved to arrest him at the airport immediately after disembarking from Egypt Air flight MS 877 from Cairo. When El-Rufai demanded to see the invitation letter or any legal document, none was produced. His passport was then allegedly seized by the operatives.
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The statement noted that ordinary Nigerians at the airport surrounded the scene and loudly insisted that he could only be arrested through a legitimate process, forcing the operatives to back down.
Constitutional Violations Alleged The legal team cited specific infringements of the 1999 Constitution (as amended):
Section 35 — Right to personal liberty
Section 36 — Right to fair hearing
Section 34 — Right to dignity of the human person
Section 41 — Right to freedom of movement
Section 44 — Right not to be deprived of property without compensation
They described the passport seizure as “nothing short of stealing the unlawful taking of private property by agents of the state acting without colour of authority.”
Demands The team demanded: Immediate and unconditional cessation of all unlawful attempts to detain Malam El-Rufai, Immediate return of his passport and a formal apology for the infringement on his dignity and rights.
They reiterated that El-Rufai “will never take the cowardly route of running away from law enforcement” and “will honour, without preconditions, all legitimate law enforcement summons.”
The statement warned that legal action will be pursued against all persons and agencies responsible, adding: “The judiciary remains the ultimate arbiter, and we shall seek redress through all available legal channels to protect the sanctity of the law.”
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Neither the EFCC nor the DSS has issued an official response to the allegations as of press time. The incident has sparked widespread reactions online, with many describing it as another example of executive intimidation of political critics ahead of 2027.
This is a developing story.
By Ogungbayi Beedee Adeyemi
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