El-Rufai resists security operatives at Abuja airport amid EFCC probe, departs safely as supporters block attempted arrest.
Former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, was at the center of a tense standoff at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Thursday after security operatives reportedly attempted to detain him.
According to eyewitness accounts and videos circulating online, El-Rufai declined to accompany the agents, insisting that due process must be followed. In the footage, he is heard asserting that no authority, including the president, has the power to compel him without proper legal procedure.
The situation quickly drew attention from bystanders and supporters at the airport.
Many of them reportedly intervened, forming a protective barrier around the former governor and demanding that he be allowed to leave peacefully. Amid chants and heightened tension, the operatives were prevented from taking him into custody. It was also alleged that the agents briefly seized his passport from an aide during the confrontation.
El-Rufai had reportedly returned to Abuja in connection with an invitation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), with a scheduled appearance on February 16. The invitation is believed to be linked to ongoing investigations concerning his tenure as governor of Kaduna State between 2015 and 2023.
The former governor has consistently described the probes as politically motivated. As of the time of filing this report, neither the EFCC nor any other security agency has issued an official statement regarding the airport incident.
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The development has since sparked widespread reactions across political and civic circles, raising fresh debates about due process, political accountability, and the rule of law in Nigeria.