By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, is expected to appear before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, according to his legal team.
Ubong Esop Akpan, counsel to the former governor, disclosed this on Thursday while reacting to an alleged attempt by security operatives to arrest El-Rufai upon his arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Akpan said his client arrived in Abuja from Cairo aboard EgyptAir flight MS 877 when security agents approached him.
Describing the development as a violation of constitutional rights and due process, the lawyer argued that the EFCC’s invitation letter was delivered to El-Rufai’s residence at a time he was already outside the country, making immediate compliance impracticable.
“The invitation from the EFCC was delivered to Malam El-Rufai’s residence while he was already abroad, rendering it illogical to demand immediate attendance,” Akpan said.
He noted that his law firm had been in communication with the anti-graft agency since December 2025, assuring the commission that the former governor would honour the invitation upon his return.
“We explicitly notified the EFCC that he would voluntarily appear at their office by 10:00 a.m. on Monday, February 16, 2026,” he added.
Akpan maintained that any move to arrest his client despite the communicated commitment to appear voluntarily would amount to arbitrary action and a breach of procedural fairness.
He also called for the immediate cessation of any attempt to detain El-Rufai and demanded the return of the former governor’s international passport, which he alleged was seized during the airport encounter.
As of the time of filing this report, the EFCC had not issued an official response to the allegations.
