The Department of State Services has detained five security operatives over their alleged involvement in the arrival of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Wednesday, February 12, 2026.
According to the agency, the arrests followed an investigation into how El-Rufai was able to leave the airport after security officers reportedly tried to take him into custody upon his return from Cairo, Egypt. His passport was later seized during the confrontation.
Muyiwa Adekeye, his spokesperson, had earlier disclosed the incident on social media, writing: “Security agents today attempted to arrest Malam Nasir@elrufai as he arrived on a flight from Cairo. Malam El- Rufai declined to follow them without a formal Invitation. They however snatched his international passport from an aide.”
Three days later, El-Rufai responded to an invitation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, where he was questioned for three days and granted bail. He was later arrested by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and has remained in detention.
The Department of State Services said it had already filed criminal charges against him but could not present him in court on Tuesday, February 25, 2026, because he was being held by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
In its update, the agency alleged that El-Rufai bribed certain officials to avoid arrest at the airport. It clarified that while some officers allegedly received bribes, others did not collect money but still enabled unauthorised access.
The agency stated: “At the end of a joint investigation by the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and Federal Ministry of Aviation, five officers have been detained.” It listed them as Ayuba YAKUBU (ASP) – POLICE; Murtala Inuwa – DSS; Najeeb MURTALA (ASI) – NIS; Musa ADAMU – AviationSecurity ( AVSEC); and Salihu VICTOR – AVSEC.
It added: “They have all confessed to receiving bribes to facilitate unauthorized entry into Restricted Areas, to obstruct lawful security operation in an unprecedented manner.
“They have been handed over to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for prosecution.
“Others from NIS and NCS whose involvement is not criminal; that is, did not receive a bribe, but abuse their uniforms to facilitate unauthorized access, will face administrative action.”
El-Rufai has denied any wrongdoing and insists that the actions taken against him are politically motivated. The case continues to generate attention as multiple security and anti-corruption agencies remain involved.