Human rights lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju has downplayed allegations by former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, that security operatives attempted to unlawfully arrest him at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE News, Adeyanju said he was not convinced there was any genuine plan to detain the former governor, describing the incident as exaggerated.
“I am not convinced that there was any plan to arrest him. I’m not convinced from the clip,” he said.
Adeyanju characterised El-Rufai as politically dramatic, suggesting the episode was staged for public attention. According to him, if authorities had truly intended to arrest El-Rufai, they would have carried it out.
He argued instead that security operatives were likely interested in the former governor’s international passport, noting that it was successfully seized.
“I think that they wanted to target his passport, and the DSS actually got his passport. Nobody planned to arrest him. If there was a plan to arrest him, for sure they would have arrested him,” Adeyanju stated.
The activist further explained that arrests under Nigerian law require legal justification, either through probable cause or a warrant. He added that the Department of State Services (DSS) is empowered under existing regulations to confiscate passports of individuals placed on a watch list.
“I think Section 2 of the DSS instrument regulation, which is in compliance with the NSA Act, gives the DSS the power to seize someone’s passport if your name is on the watch list,” he said.
Adeyanju also referenced El-Rufai’s own statements acknowledging that anti-corruption agencies, including the EFCC and ICPC, were investigating him. He questioned why the former governor would portray the airport incident as persecution despite being aware of ongoing probes.
Calling for accountability, Adeyanju urged El-Rufai to submit himself to the investigative process, stressing that investigation does not equate to guilt.
“He should submit himself to investigation and probe. It is after the investigation is done, if there is a prima facie case, then he will be charged. Then he will have his day in court,” he said.
Meanwhile, El-Rufai has maintained that there was an attempt to arrest him and alleged that the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, was behind the directive — a claim yet to receive official confirmation.
The former governor, however, disclosed via his X (formerly Twitter) handle that he would honour an invitation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
“My lawyer has written to confirm that I will be attending the ICPC office on Wednesday, 18 February 2026,” El-Rufai wrote.
