El-Rufai appears at EFCC headquarters in Abuja amid protest by supporters
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on Monday arrived at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja over ongoing investigations into alleged corruption during his tenure.
His arrival reportedly heightened tension at the commission’s entrance as security operatives restricted members of his entourage from gaining access to the premises.
Supporters of the former governor gathered at a junction leading to the EFCC office, chanting slogans and displaying placards bearing inscriptions such as, “El-Rufai is a citizen, not a subject” and “We stand with El-Rufai. We stand for law.”
A video circulating online showed some of the supporters alleging that security personnel dispersed them with teargas while allegedly permitting anti-El-Rufai protesters to assemble nearby.
The opposing group displayed banners reading, “El-Rufai cannot hide behind politics, let the law catch up,” and placards urging, “Answer the charge, El-Rufai.”
El-Rufai, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, had earlier travelled abroad on November 30, 2025.
Sources disclosed that the EFCC delivered a letter of invitation to his residence in December, fuelling speculation that he could face arrest upon his return.
He had formally notified the commission that he would appear at its office by 10 a.m. on Monday.
The former governor’s media adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, claimed that security agents had earlier attempted to arrest El-Rufai upon his arrival at Nnamdi Azikiwe 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.
He further alleged that officials seized the former governor’s passport during the encounter.
In an interview with BBC Hausa last Wednesday, El-Rufai described the airport incident as “executive overreach and a deliberate disregard for the rule of law.”
He warned that he could be arrested at any time, noting that several of his former aides had already been detained.
Investigations by the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission are reportedly ongoing, including a probe initiated by his successor, Uba Sani, into his tenure as governor.
El-Rufai has denied any wrongdoing, alleging political persecution by the Federal Government and the All Progressives Congress. He has also intensified criticism of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling party, maintaining that he was never an ally of the president.
