Nasir El-Rufai, the former Governor of Kaduna State, has confirmed that he will attend an invitation from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Wednesday, February 18, 2026. This announcement came following an alleged attempt by security operatives to arrest him at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Thursday.
In a post shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Friday, El-Rufai referred to the incident at the airport as an “attempted abduction” and stated that despite the encounter, he would comply with the invitation from the anti-corruption agency as scheduled. He explained that after the airport incident, the ICPC delivered a formal invitation for him to attend their office on February 18.
“Yesterday, after the futile attempt to abduct me, the ICPC delivered a letter to invite me to their office. My lawyer has written to confirm that I will be attending the ICPC office on Wednesday, 18 February 2026,” El-Rufai posted.
The incident at the airport, which occurred upon his return from Cairo, Egypt, has sparked controversy. According to El-Rufai’s media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, security agents attempted to detain him without presenting any formal invitation. Adekeye further claimed that during the attempt, the agents seized El-Rufai’s international passport.
In response to the airport encounter, El-Rufai’s lawyer, Ubong Akpan, condemned the actions of the security operatives, describing the attempted arrest as unlawful. Akpan emphasized that while El-Rufai was prepared to cooperate with any legitimate process, the actions taken by the agents violated due process and his client’s constitutional rights.
“The attempted arrest at the airport was a violation of constitutional rights and procedural norms. My client is fully willing to cooperate with any lawful processes, but due process must be followed,” Akpan said.
The controversy surrounding El-Rufai’s attempted detention follows earlier reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had also invited him while he was still abroad. Akpan revealed that the former governor’s team had communicated with the EFCC, confirming that El-Rufai would voluntarily appear at their office on Monday, February 16, 2026, upon his return to Nigeria.
