Five officers arrested in connection with bribery related to El-Rufai airport incident

Five security personnel have been arrested and are set to face charges for their suspected involvement in a security breach at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on February 12, 2026, which allegedly involved former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

Authorities announced on Tuesday that these arrests were a result of a thorough investigation into what they termed a significant breach of airport security protocols.

The investigation was a collaborative effort between the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Nigeria Customs Service, and the Federal Ministry of Aviation.

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Following the investigation, five individuals were taken into custody, including Ayuba Yakubu (ASP) from the police, Murtala Inuwa from DSS, Najeeb Murtala (ASI) from NIS, Musa Adamu from Aviation Security, and Salihu Victor from AVSEC.

The authorities revealed that the suspects confessed to accepting bribes to allow unauthorized access to restricted areas of the airport and to hinder legitimate security operations.

They have been handed over to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission for legal action.

The statement also indicated that other personnel from the NIS and NCS, who were not found guilty of taking bribes but were involved in facilitating improper access, will face administrative penalties.

This incident follows a series of events involving El-Rufai. On February 12, 2026, security agents attempted to detain him upon his arrival from Cairo at the Abuja airport, seizing his passport and allegedly compelling him to comply without a warrant.

Between February 16 and 18, El-Rufai was held by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on accusations of misappropriating ₦432 billion during his governorship in Kaduna State. After being granted administrative bail, he was rearrested by ICPC agents between February 18 and 19 and has remained in custody since.

Additionally, ICPC officials searched his home on Aso Drive, Abuja, an action condemned by his legal team as unlawful. Moreover, the DSS has charged him with three counts over allegations of wiretapping the phone lines of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu following comments made during a television interview.