The Department of State Services (DSS) has taken several security officials into custody over the airport drama that followed the return of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai from Egypt on February 12.
The development comes weeks after an attempted arrest at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport drew nationwide attention, as first reported by Daily Trust.
Security operatives had reportedly moved to detain El-Rufai shortly after he arrived in Abuja from Cairo. Although the arrest attempt did not succeed, his international passport was seized during the confrontation.
His spokesperson, Muyiwa Adekeye, later disclosed the incident on X, stating that security agents tried to arrest El-Rufai without presenting a formal invitation. According to him, the former governor declined to comply under those circumstances, after which his passport was allegedly taken from one of his aides.
Officers Detained After Joint Probe
Three days after the airport episode, El-Rufai honoured an invitation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He was questioned for three days and subsequently granted bail.
Shortly after his release, however, he was arrested again by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The DSS, which had earlier filed charges against him, was unable to present him in court on February 25, 2026, as he remained in ICPC custody at the time.
In a fresh statement, the DSS alleged that certain officers were compromised during the airport incident. Following a joint investigation involving the DSS, the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Nigeria Customs Service, and the Federal Ministry of Aviation, five officials were reportedly detained.
Those named include Ayuba Yakubu (ASP) of the Police, Murtala Inuwa of the DSS, Najeeb Murtala (ASI) of the Nigeria Immigration Service, and Musa Adamu and Salihu Victor of Aviation Security.
According to the DSS, the officers admitted to receiving bribes to grant unauthorized access to restricted airport areas and to obstruct what the agency described as a lawful security operation.
The agency stated that the officers have been handed over to the ICPC for prosecution. It added that other officials from the Immigration and Customs services whose actions were deemed administrative rather than criminal would face internal disciplinary measures.
El-Rufai has consistently denied all allegations against him, maintaining that the actions taken against him amount to political persecution.
