The controversy surrounding the aborted arrest of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport has deepened, with the Department of State Services (DSS) detaining five security operatives over their alleged involvement.
The arrests followed a joint investigation by the DSS, the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Nigeria Customs Service and the Federal Ministry of Aviation.
Those detained are Ayuba Yakubu, an Assistant Superintendent of Police; Murtala Inuwa of the DSS; Najeeb Murtala, an Assistant Superintendent of Immigration; and two Aviation Security (AVSEC) officers, Musa Adamu and Salihu Victor.
El-Rufai had returned from Egypt on February 12, 2026, when operatives reportedly attempted to arrest him at the Abuja airport but failed. His spokesman, Muyiwa Adekeye, later alleged that security officials seized the former governor’s international passport after he declined to follow them without a formal invitation. The passport was reportedly taken from one of his aides.
Days after the incident, El-Rufai 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 allegations.
According to findings from the inter-agency probe, the detained officers allegedly confessed to receiving bribes to facilitate unauthorised access to restricted airport areas and to obstruct lawful security operations. They have since been handed over to the ICPC for prosecution.
The report also indicated that other Immigration and Customs personnel, whose actions were deemed non-criminal but improper, would face administrative sanctions for allegedly abusing their uniforms to grant unauthorised access.
Meanwhile, El-Rufai’s N1bn fundamental rights enforcement suit experienced a setback at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
When the case came up before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, only counsel to the applicant, Ubong Akpan, was present. He informed the court that the respondents had yet to be served with court processes and requested an adjournment. The matter was subsequently adjourned 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 authorising the search of his Abuja residence.
He is asking the court to declare the warrant null and void, arguing that it lacked specificity, was overbroad and unsupported by probable cause. He contends that the February 19 search of his residence at 12 Mambilla Street, Asokoro, by operatives of the ICPC and the police violated his constitutional rights.
The former governor is seeking N1bn in damages, including N300m for alleged psychological trauma, N400m as exemplary damages and N300m as aggravated damages. He is also claiming N100m as the cost of filing the suit.
The ICPC, however, has maintained that its operatives acted lawfully under a valid search warrant issued on February 18 and executed the following day.
In a related development, El-Rufai’s wife, Hadiza, dismissed reports that “wiretapping equipment” was recovered from their residence, stating that the items seized included her bank tokens. Her son, Mohammed El-Rufai, representing Kaduna North Federal Constituency, also described the claims as false.
Earlier, 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 has added another layer to the unfolding dispute.
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