Five security personnel have been arrested and will face prosecution over the February 12, 2026 security breach at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, in an incident authorities say involved former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.
The arrests followed a joint investigation by the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and the Federal Ministry of Aviation.
Those detained include ASP Ayuba Yakubu of the Nigeria Police Force, Murtala Inuwa of the DSS, Najeeb Murtala of the Immigration Service, as well as Aviation Security officers Musa Adamu and Salihu Victor.
Investigators revealed that the suspects allegedly confessed to accepting bribes in exchange for granting unauthorized access to restricted areas of the airport and compromising established security protocols.
Authorities characterized the incident as a serious insider breach of vital national infrastructure.
The suspects have been handed over to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for prosecution.
On February 12, 2026, security officials allegedly tried to arrest him upon his arrival from Cairo at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. Reports indicate that his passport was confiscated, and he refused to comply with the operatives’ demands without a valid warrant.
A few days later, between February 16 and 18, El-Rufai was reportedly detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of misappropriating ₦432 billion during his tenure as governor of Kaduna State.
Shortly after receiving administrative bail from the EFCC, El-Rufai was rearrested by ICPC operatives between February 18 and 19 and has remained in custody since.
Following this, ICPC agents conducted a search of his residence on Aso Drive, Abuja—an action his legal team criticized as unlawful and a breach of his rights.
Additionally, the Department of State Services (DSS) filed a three-count charge against him, accusing him of wiretapping the phone lines of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, stemming from comments El-Rufai made during a television interview.