After Failed Airport Arrest, El-Rufai To Appear Before EFCC On Monday – Lawyer

Mr Ubong Esop Akpan, the counsel to former Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has alleged an attempted illegal arrest of his client by security operatives yesterday upon his arrival in Abuja via Egypt Air flight MS 877 from Cairo.

In a statement he issued yesterday, Akpan said the attempted arrest was a flagrant violation of constitutional rights, an act of executive overreach and a deliberate disregard for the rule of law.

He explained that the invitation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was delivered to El-Rufai’s residence while he was abroad, thereby rendering it inherently illogical and impractical to demand immediate attendance to answer purported allegations.

Akpan stated that such an approach defies reason, as it presumes instantaneous compliance from an individual outside the jurisdiction, without regard for logistical realities or legal fairness.

He said, in response, that the former governor’s legal team had been formally communicating with the EFCC on his behalf since December 2025, assuring compliance upon his return.

“Yesterday, we explicitly notified them that he would voluntarily appear at their office by 10:00 a.m. on Monday, February 16, 2026, specifying the precise place and time for addressing the invitation. Resorting to arrest despite this clear commitment exemplifies arbitrary conduct and undermines procedural integrity,” Akpan said.

He alleged that upon El-Rufai’s arrival, security operatives from the Department of State Services (DSS) moved to arrest him without presenting any warrant or formal invitation.

Akpan said, “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. There was only raw power, unclothed by law. In the same unlawful manner, operatives physically snatched his international passport.

“This act is nothing short of stealing — the unlawful taking of private property by agents of the state acting without colour of authority. Ordinary Nigerians present at the airport, incensed by this open display of oppression, surrounded the scene and insisted loudly that he could only be arrested upon a legitimate process. Their voices, defiant and unbowed, were a testament to the citizenry’s unyielding commitment to the rule of law, even as state agents acted in flagrant disregard of it. That citizens had to remind security operatives of the Constitution is both shameful and instructive…

“Legal action will be pursued against all persons and agencies responsible for this unconstitutional conduct to uphold accountability and deter future abuses. The judiciary remains the ultimate arbiter, and we shall seek redress through all available legal channels to protect the sanctity of the law,” he said.