El-Rufai To Honour EFCC Invitation On Monday — Counsel

Thursday February 12, 2026
www.thenewsdesk.ng

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, will appear before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, by 10:00 a.m. on Monday, February 16.

Ubong Esop Akpan, counsel to the former governor, disclosed this on Thursday, February 12, while reacting to the alleged attempt by security operatives to arrest Mr El-Rufai at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Mr Akpan said his client was approached by security agents on Thursday afternoon upon his arrival from Cairo aboard EgyptAir flight MS 877.

Describing the development as a violation of constitutional rights, the lawyer accused authorities of executive overreach and disregard for due process.

According to him, the EFCC’s invitation letter was delivered to Mr El-Rufai’s residence while he was already outside the country, making immediate compliance impractical.

“The invitation from the EFCC was delivered to Malam El-Rufai’s residence while he was already abroad, rendering it illogical to demand immediate attendance,” Mr Akpan said.

He stated that his law firm had since December 2025 communicated with the commission, assuring that Mr El-Rufai would honour the invitation upon his return to Nigeria.

“We explicitly notified the EFCC that he would voluntarily appear at their office by 10:00 a.m. on Monday, February 16, 2026,” he added.

Mr Akpan argued that any attempt to arrest his client despite the communicated commitment to appear voluntarily amounted to arbitrary conduct and a breach of procedural integrity.

He further demanded what he described as the immediate cessation of efforts to detain the former governor and the return of his passport, which he alleged was seized during Thursday’s encounter at the airport.

As of the time of filing this report, the EFCC had not issued an official response to the claims.