Agency Report
ABUJA, Nigeria (chatnewstv.com) — Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai will appear before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, his lawyer said Thursday, following what he described as an attempted arrest by security operatives at Abuja’s international airport.
Ubong Esop Akpan, counsel to the former governor, said his client was approached by security agents Thursday afternoon upon arrival from Cairo aboard EgyptAir flight MS 877 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
Akpan described the development as a violation of his client’s constitutional rights, accusing authorities of executive overreach and disregard for due process.
“The invitation from the EFCC was delivered to Malam El-Rufai’s residence while he was already abroad, rendering it illogical to demand immediate attendance,” Akpan said.
According to the lawyer, his firm had communicated with the anti-graft agency as far back as December 2025, assuring officials that El-Rufai would honor the invitation upon his return to Nigeria.
“We explicitly notified the EFCC that he would voluntarily appear at their office by 10:00 a.m. on Monday, February 16, 2026,” he said.
Akpan argued that any attempt to arrest the former governor despite the communicated commitment to appear voluntarily amounted to arbitrary conduct and a breach of procedural integrity.
He also demanded the “immediate cessation” of any efforts to detain his client and called for the return of El-Rufai’s passport, which he alleged was seized during Thursday’s encounter at the airport.
As of the time of filing this report, the EFCC had not issued an official response to the claims.
