Former governor of Kaduna state, Malam Nasir El-Rufai will report at the office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by 10:00 a.m. on Monday.
Ubong Esop Akpan, counsel to the former governor said this while reacting to the attempt to arrest him at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, shortly after his arrival from Cairo, Egypt, on Thursday.
The statement said, the former governor, who arrived aboard Egypt Air flight MS 877, was approached by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) for arrest, an attempt it described as an “unlawful attempted arrest, a flagrant violation of constitutional rights, executive over-reach, and a deliberate disregard for the rule of law.”
According to the statement, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had earlier issued an invitation to El-Rufai while he was outside the country. His lawyer argued that the timing of the invitation made immediate compliance impractical, noting that they had formally communicated with the anti-graft agency in December 2025, assuring that their client would honour the invitation upon his return.
The lawyer said, he subsequently informed the EFCC that El-Rufai would voluntarily appear at the commission’s office by 10:00 a.m. on Monday, February 16, 2026.
“Resorting to arrest despite this clear commitment exemplifies arbitrary conduct and undermines procedural integrity,” the statement said and further alleged that security operatives attempted to arrest El-Rufai without presenting a warrant or a formal letter of invitation.
The lawyer claimed that when he requested to see the relevant documents authorising the action, none was produced and also alleged that operatives seized El-Rufai’s international passport during the encounter, describing the action as unlawful and a violation of his property rights.
Citing provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), the lawyer argued that the attempted arrest infringed on several fundamental rights, including the right to personal liberty (Section 35), right to fair hearing (Section 36), right to dignity of the human person (Section 34), right to freedom of movement (Section 41), and right to own property (Section 44).
The lawyer demanded the immediate return of El-Rufai’s passport, a cessation of any further attempts to detain him without due process, and a formal apology from the authorities.
He also maintained that the former governor would not evade law enforcement and remained willing to honour all legitimate summons.
“Legal action will be pursued against all persons and agencies responsible for this unconstitutional conduct,” the statement added.