THE Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested five security operatives allegedly implicated in facilitating the controversial return of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, to Nigeria from Egypt on February 12.
News Point Nigeria reports that the development follows an incident at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, where DSS operatives reportedly attempted to arrest El-Rufai upon his arrival from Cairo but were unsuccessful.
Sources indicated that the DSS had moved to detain the former governor at the airport, but he declined to accompany the officers without a formal invitation.
Muyiwa Adekeye, El-Rufai’s former spokesman, had publicly confirmed that security agents attempted to arrest his principal and seized his international passport during the encounter.
“Security agents today attempted to arrest Malam Nasir @elrufai as he arrived on a flight from Cairo. Malam El-Rufai declined to follow them without a formal invitation. They however snatched his international passport from an aide,” Adekeye wrote on social media platform X.
In a statement providing an update, the DSS disclosed that a joint investigation involving the DSS, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and the Federal Ministry of Aviation led to the detention of five officers.
Those arrested were identified as:
Ayuba Yakubu (ASP) – Nigeria Police
Murtala Inuwa – DSS
Najeeb Murtala (ASI) – NIS
Musa Adamu – Aviation Security (AVSEC)
Salihu Victor – AVSEC
According to the DSS, the officers allegedly received bribes to facilitate unauthorized access to restricted airport areas and to obstruct a lawful security operation.
“They have all confessed to receiving bribes to facilitate unauthorized entry into Restricted Areas, to obstruct lawful security operation in an unprecedented manner,” the statement said.
The detained officers have since been handed over to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for prosecution.
The DSS clarified that other personnel from the NIS and NCS whose involvement was deemed non-criminal, meaning they did not receive bribes but allegedly abused their positions to grant unauthorized access would face administrative sanctions.
El-Rufai subsequently honoured an invitation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) three days after the airport incident. He was reportedly grilled for three days and granted bail before being rearrested by the ICPC.
The DSS had earlier filed criminal charges against him but was unable to arraign him on February 25, 2026, because he was already in ICPC custody.
In its latest filing, the DSS alleged that El-Rufai bribed his way through security checks to evade immediate arrest upon his return from overseas.
The former governor has consistently denied any wrongdoing, describing the actions against him as a witch-hunt by the current administration.