Five security officers have been arrested and are facing prosecution over their alleged roles in a security breach at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on February 12, 2026, in an incident authorities say involved former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.
In a statement released on Tuesday, officials confirmed that the arrests followed a joint investigation into what was described as a serious compromise of airport security protocols. The investigation was carried out by the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and the Federal Ministry of Aviation.
According to the statement, the five detained officers are Ayuba Yakubu (ASP) of the Police, Murtala Inuwa of the DSS, Najeeb Murtala (ASI) of the NIS, Musa Adamu of Aviation Security, and Salihu Victor of AVSEC.
Authorities alleged that the officers confessed to receiving bribes to facilitate unauthorised access into restricted areas of the airport and to obstruct lawful security operations. The suspects have since been handed over to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for prosecution.
The statement added that other personnel from the NIS and NCS whose involvement was considered non-criminal — including those accused of abusing their uniforms to grant unauthorised access — would face administrative sanctions.
The development stems from events on February 12, when security operatives reportedly attempted to arrest El-Rufai upon his arrival from Cairo at the Abuja airport. His passport was allegedly seized, and he was said to have refused to accompany officers without a warrant.
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Between February 16 and 18, El-Rufai was detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of misappropriating ₦432 billion during his time as governor of Kaduna State. Shortly after being granted administrative bail, he was rearrested by the ICPC between February 18 and 19 and has remained in custody.
ICPC operatives later searched his residence on Aso Drive, Abuja — a move his legal team described as unlawful and a violation of his rights.
In a separate development, the DSS filed a three-count charge against El-Rufai over allegations that he wiretapped the phone lines of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, following comments he made during a television interview.
