Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai arrived at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja on Monday for ongoing investigations into alleged corruption during his tenure, sparking tensions at the commission’s entrance.
Security personnel reportedly restricted members of El-Rufai’s entourage from entering the premises, prompting a standoff with supporters gathered nearby.
Videos circulating online showed supporters chanting slogans and holding placards reading “El-Rufai is a citizen, not a subject” and “We stand with El-Rufai. We stand for law,” alleging that the EFCC had deployed teargas against them while allowing anti-El-Rufai demonstrators to assemble on the same junction.
The opposing group carried banners stating, “El-Rufai cannot hide behind politics, let the law catch up” and smaller placards urging, “Answer the charge, El-Rufai.”
El-Rufai, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, had returned from an overseas trip on November 30, 2025. Sources say the EFCC delivered a letter of invitation to his residence in December, fuelling speculation that he might face arrest upon his return.
The former governor had informed the commission that he would appear at their office by 10 a.m. on Monday.
His media adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, alleged that security agents had previously attempted to arrest El-Rufai upon his arrival at Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport from Cairo, Egypt, last Thursday.
“Security agents today attempted to arrest Malam Nasir El-Rufai as he arrived on a flight from Cairo. Malam El-Rufai declined to follow them without a formal invitation,” Adekeye wrote on X (formerly Twitter), further alleging that the officials seized the former governor’s passport.
Speaking on a televised channel last Wednesday, El-Rufai described the airport incident as “executive overreach and a deliberate disregard for the rule of law,” warning that he could be arrested at any moment while several of his former aides had already been detained.
The EFCC, alongside the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), is continuing investigations, including a probe initiated by El-Rufai’s successor, Uba Sani, into his administration.
El-Rufai has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, framing the investigations as political persecution by the federal government and the All Progressives Congress, while intensifying criticism of President Bola Tinubu and asserting that he was never an ally of the president.
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