…DSS arrests 5 officers over alleged airport bribery
The legal and political drama surrounding former Kaduna State governor Nasir el-Rufa’i has intensified, as his ₦1 billion fundamental rights suit against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Attorney-General stalled in court and drew further scrutiny amid related bribery revelations.
A hearing at the Federal High Court in Abuja was adjourned on Tuesday after it emerged that the respondents had not been served with the originating processes. Ubong Akpan, counsel to el-Rufa’i, told presiding judge Joyce AbdulMalik that service had not been effected, requesting an adjournment to comply.
El-Rufa’i, who has been in ICPC custody since February 19 following release from EFCC detention, has described his arrest and continued detention as politically motivated, linking them to his prominent role in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which he calls Nigeria’s “only surviving opposition party.” He has chosen to exercise his right to silence, demanding that any allegations be tested in court.
The ICPC has disclosed that a court-authorized search of El-Rufai’s Abuja residence yielded numerous documents and electronic devices, including laptops, phones, tablets, investor statements, business records, and corporate compliance files. The agency filed details in court to counter El-Rufai’s suit, which claims that his arrest, detention, and the home search were politically driven. The former governor’s family rejected the claims, insisting only personal items were seized and dismissing suggestions of “phone-tapping” devices as false.
In a related development, the DSS announced the arrest of five security officers implicated in receiving bribes from el-Rufa’i to facilitate unauthorized access and potential escape at the airport upon his return to Nigeria. The officers—spanning the Police, DSS, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), and Aviation Security (AVSEC)—have been handed over to the ICPC for prosecution. Additional personnel who abused their uniforms without taking bribes will face administrative action.
A vocal critic of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, el-Rufa’i insists the investigations are part of a broader political crackdown, while anti-corruption agencies maintain that their actions are strictly within the bounds of the law.
