Counsel to former Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, has condemned what he described as an unlawful attempt to arrest his client by security operatives upon his arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Thursday.
In a statement issued in Abuja, Ubong Esop Akpan of The Chambers of Ubong Akpan, alleged that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) moved to arrest El-Rufai shortly after he arrived aboard Egypt Air flight MS 877 from Cairo, without presenting an arrest warrant or formal letter of invitation.
The lawyer described the action as a “flagrant violation of constitutional rights” and an abuse of state power.
Akpan explained that an invitation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had earlier been delivered to El-Rufai’s residence while he was out of the country, making immediate compliance impossible.
He said the legal team had since December 2025, communicated with the EFCC, assuring the commission that the former governor would honour the invitation upon his return.
According to him, the commission was formally notified that El-Rufai would appear at its office by 10:00 a.m. on Monday, February 16, 2026.
The counsel further alleged that security operatives physically seized El-Rufai’s international passport at the airport without lawful authority.
He argued that the attempted arrest and seizure of the passport contravened several constitutional provisions, including rights to personal liberty, fair hearing, dignity of the human person, freedom of movement, and ownership of property as enshrined in Sections 35, 36, 34, 41, and 44 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Akpan demanded the immediate return of the passport, a cessation of any unlawful efforts to detain his client, and a formal apology from the relevant agencies.
He maintained that El-Rufai would honour all legitimate law enforcement summons and would not evade due process, while vowing to pursue legal action against those responsible for what he termed unconstitutional conduct.
