El-Rufai: DSS arrests security agents over alleged bribery

The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested five security operatives over alleged bribery from the former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai. They were arrested after an inter-agency investigation into the actions of some security agents at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja. The secret police had reportedly attempted to arrest El-Rufai upon his […]

The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested five security operatives over alleged bribery from the former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai.

They were arrested after an inter-agency investigation into the actions of some security agents at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja.

The secret police had reportedly attempted to arrest El-Rufai upon his return from Egypt on February 12 at the airport, but failed in its bid to do so. His passport was eventually seized.

The DSS alleged that El-Rufai bribed his way through to be able to escape arrest upon his return from overseas.

Giving an update on Tuesday, a security source said the arrested and detained officers were drawn from the Police, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigerian Immigration Services (NIS) and Aviation Security (AVSEC).

Their names were given as: ASP Ayuba Yakubu (police), Murtala Inuwa (DSS), ASI Najeeb Murtala (Immigration), Musa Adamu (AVSEC) and Salihu Victor, also from AVSEC.

“At the end of a joint investigation by the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and Federal Ministry of Aviation, five officers have been detained,” the official said.

The source noted that they have all confessed to receiving bribes to facilitate unauthorised entry into restricted areas, to obstruct lawful security operations in an unprecedented manner.

According to him, the arrested security agents are currently being detained at the headquarters of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

He noted that five other personnel of different security agencies, who did not receive a bribe, were also arrested, saying they will, however, face administrative sanction for abusing their uniforms.

“They have been handed over to the ICPC for prosecution,” the source added.

ICPC spokesman, John Odey, was yet to speak officially about the matter as calls to his mobile phone rang out.

ICPC had claimed that some wiretapping materials were recovered from El-Rufai’s Abuja home during a search.

The anti-graft agency made the disclosures in court filings before the Federal Capital Territory High Court, opposing a N1bn fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by the former governor.

El-Rufai had challenged what he described as his illegal arrest, detention, and the search of his residence last month.

His family claimed that when the ICPC raided El-Rufa’i’s residence in Abuja, only “old discarded personal mobile phones, some dating back as much as 20 years, storage devices like flash drives and laptops, which are standard possessions of any 21st-century citizen, were seized from the property.”

ADC accuses FG of selective justice against El-Rufai, Malami

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Federal Government of selective justice in the ongoing legal cases involving former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), both members of the opposition party.

In a statement, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the handling of their cases contrasts sharply with other high-profile matters, including one involving allegations of passport forgery and international conspiracy, where the accused were granted bail and proceedings are moving swiftly.

The ADC said as a law-abiding party, it believes no citizen, regardless of status or past office, is above the law. However, it argued that in a constitutional democracy, justice must be applied evenly and transparently, without political calculation. The party expressed concern over what it described as the rapid transfer of Malami and El-Rufai between law enforcement agencies while investigations are still ongoing. It questioned whether detention was being used as an investigative shortcut or as a means to sideline opposition figures, insisting that custody should follow credible charges, not precede them in a way that suggests pre-trial punishment.

The ADC said that if there is evidence against Malami or El-Rufai, the government should prosecute them transparently and allow the courts to decide.

It warned against any perception that enforcement actions move faster against opposition figures than others. The party also referenced a recent high-profile case involving allegations of passport forgery, impersonation, and international conspiracy, noting that the accused were granted bail and the matter is progressing in court.

Reaffirming its stance, the ADC said Malami and El-Rufai are first Nigerian citizens and are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a competent court.

It called for public clarification on the status of investigations and strict adherence to constitutional safeguards against arbitrary or prolonged detention, as well as equal application of the law regardless of political affiliation.