…Counsel Decries ‘Raw Power, Flagrant Rights Violation and Executive Overreach’
By Jeremy Fregene
Barely 24 hours after a senior official in the Office of the National Security Adviser dismissed claims of political persecution and told Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai to “harbour no fears if his hands are clean,” security operatives on Thursday afternoon attempted to arrest the former Kaduna State governor at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
El-Rufai, who arrived aboard Egypt Air flight MS 877 from Cairo, was reportedly intercepted by operatives of the Department of State Services shortly after disembarking.
In a strongly worded statement issued by his counsel, Ubong Esop Akpan, the attempted arrest was described as “a flagrant violation of constitutional rights, executive overreach, and a deliberate disregard for the rule of law.”
According to the statement, operatives moved to arrest El-Rufai without presenting any warrant or formal letter of invitation. When the former governor demanded to see the basis for the action, none was produced. His international passport, the lawyers alleged, was physically seized in the process.
“There was no document, no signed directive, no lawful process,” the statement said. “There was only raw power, unclothed by law.”
The development marks a dramatic escalation in the deepening public rift between El-Rufai and the Nuhu Ribadu, who currently serves as National Security Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Just yesterday, KTH Daily reported that a top source in the NSA’s office had forcefully denied allegations by El-Rufai that Ribadu was orchestrating arrests of political opponents and exceeding his constitutional mandate. The source described the accusations as “baseless and mere politics,” insisting that anti-graft agencies operate within their statutory powers and are not controlled by the NSA.
“El-Rufai should not fear if his hands are clean,” the official had stated pointedly, rejecting suggestions that Ribadu harboured 2031 presidential ambitions or was using state power to clear out potential opponents.
Thursday’s airport drama appears to have turned that war of words into a tangible confrontation.
El-Rufai’s counsel disclosed that the invitation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had been delivered to his residence while he was already abroad for medical treatment, making immediate compliance impossible. The legal team said it had been in communication with the Commission since December 2025, assuring it of their client’s willingness to honour the invitation upon return.
The lawyers further claimed that they formally notified the EFCC on Wednesday that El-Rufai would voluntarily appear at its office by 10:00 a.m. on Monday, February 16, 2026.
“To resort to arrest despite this clear commitment exemplifies arbitrary conduct and undermines procedural integrity,” the statement read.
The former governor, who had earlier told the BBC Hausa Service that he feared imminent arrest and accused the NSA of directing security agencies to detain individuals without due process, had nonetheless returned to Nigeria, publicly affirming his readiness to face any legitimate inquiry.
Witnesses at the airport described a tense scene as bystanders reportedly challenged the operatives and demanded to see legal documentation authorising the arrest. The lawyers claimed ordinary Nigerians at the scene “insisted loudly that he could only be arrested upon legitimate process.”
Beyond the political optics, the legal team framed the incident as a constitutional crisis. They cited multiple provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), including the right to personal liberty, fair hearing, dignity of the human person, freedom of movement, and protection from unlawful deprivation of property.
“The unlawful seizure of his passport directly restrains his freedom of movement,” the statement asserted, adding that no government agency possesses unfettered powers to detain citizens without due process.
The counsel demanded the immediate return of El-Rufai’s passport, cessation of “all unlawful efforts” to detain him, and a formal apology for what they termed an egregious infringement of his rights. They also signalled readiness to seek judicial redress.
In capitalised emphasis, the statement declared: “MALAM NASIR AHMAD EL-RUFAI WILL NEVER TAKE THE COWARDLY ROUTE OF RUNNING AWAY FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT. HE WILL HONOUR, WITHOUT PRECONDITIONS, ALL LEGITIMATE LAW ENFORCEMENT SUMMONS.”
The unfolding confrontation between two once-allied northern heavyweights now appears to be one of the most consequential elite clashes of the Tinubu era. With El-Rufai alleging persecution and the NSA’s camp insisting that its operations are being conducted strictly within the law, the battle lines are no longer rhetorical.
To many observers, the critical is whether this a straightforward anti-corruption process playing out, or the opening salvo in a larger political realignment ahead of 2027 and beyond?
Indeed , and to all intents and purposes, what began as a televised warning of looming arrest has exploded into a dramatic airport standoff…one that may test not only the relationship between powerful men, but also the resilience of constitutional order itself.