Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has clarified that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), were responsible for the attempt to detain him at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, and not officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as earlier reported.
El-Rufai made the clarification during a television interview on Friday, insisting that the DSS approached him upon his return from Cairo, Egypt, and attempted to take him into custody without presenting a warrant or formal letter of invitation.
“It wasn’t the EFCC. It was the DSS,” he said. “But the DSS were procured to abduct me by the ICPC that has never communicated with me ever.”
According to him, shortly after disembarking from his flight, a DSS operative approached and asked him to accompany him to their office.
“I came out of the plane and a young man in a suit said he was from the DSS and wanted me to follow him to their office. I asked, ‘Where is the letter of invitation?’ He said his bosses had it and he would escort me to them. I told him I had to go through immigration first, just bring me the letter.”
The former governor alleged that more operatives later surrounded him as he made his way toward the immigration desk.
“Apparently, they had moved about 50 DSS operatives to the airport with specific instructions that I should be detained, abducted and detained,” he claimed.
El-Rufai maintained that he refused to comply without proper documentation.
“They said we need to go to our office. I said I’m not going anywhere. If you don’t have a letter, I’m not going. Even the president cannot tell me I have to do anything. It’s a free and democratic country.”
He said he completed immigration formalities and walked out of the airport, though operatives continued to follow him. He also alleged that one of his aides was assaulted and his passport seized during the confrontation.
“That’s the aide that got beaten up and they seized the passport from him. If I had the passport with me, I would not be talking this,” he said.
Clarifying the role of the anti-graft agency, El-Rufai explained that the EFCC had earlier written to him while he was abroad and that his lawyers had responded.
“The EFCC wrote to me while I was away saying they would like to have a chat. My lawyers replied that I was on annual vacation and once I return I will inform them. I will celebrate my birthday and come to see you at 10 a.m. on February 16.”
He further alleged that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) was behind the airport incident, claiming it enlisted the DSS to intercept him.
“Subsequently, we found out that it was the ICPC that procured the DSS to abduct me and then hand over to them,” he said.
El-Rufai described the development as politically motivated and warned that such actions could erode public trust in security institutions.
“Once people begin to lose confidence in the neutrality of such institutions, we are on our way to anarchy,” he added.
Meanwhile, security sources have maintained that although El-Rufai had been invited by the EFCC, the anti-graft agency was not involved in the airport encounter. The DSS has yet to issue an official statement regarding the incident.
El-Rufai has repeatedly stated that he is willing to honour lawful invitations from relevant authorities but insists that due process must be followed.
“I will go to them. I have nothing to hide. But I will not submit to being abducted. There is a difference between lawful process and political intimidation,” he said.
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