Five security agents to face prosecution for allegedly receiving bribes from El-Rufai at airport

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is set to prosecute five security officials for allegedly receiving bribes from former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to obstruct a lawful security operation during his return to the country last month.

A statement from security authorities said the five suspects received bribes to facilitate unauthorised access to restricted areas of the airport.

It said they will face prosecution following a joint investigation by the State Security Service (SSS), the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and the Federal Ministry of Aviation.

The statement identified the suspected officials as Ayuba Yakubu (police), Murtala Inuwa (SSS), Najeeb Murtala (NIS), Musa Adamu (Aviation Security – AVSEC) and Salihu Victor (AVSEC).

PREMIUM TIMES reported that SSS operatives attempted to arrest Mr El-Rufai on 12 February, following his arrival from Cairo, Egypt.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in a court filing recently obtained by this newspaper explained that it contacted the SSS to help arrest Mr El-Rufai upon hearing he had arrived at the airport. The ICPC submitted the filings, including a counter-affidavit, at the Federal High Court in Abuja to oppose Mr El-Rufai’s fundamental rights enforcement suit.

While the arrest was not successful, the security operatives seized the former governor’s international passport. Ubong Akpan, the counsel for Mr El-Rufai condemned the dramatic incident, linking the attempted arrest to a letter of invitation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Mr Akpan explained that the EFCC letter was delivered when his client was already outside of Nigeria. He added that his law firm wrote to the agency, notifying it that Mr El-Rufai would honour its invitation on 16 February.

The former governor was later detained after honoring the invitation. He was released two days after, and subsequently re-arrested by SSS operatives who handed him over to the ICPC.

He has since been in the custody of the anti-corruption agency which is investigating him for alleged money laundering and abuse of office as the governor of Kaduna State.

Arrested officers to face prosecution by ICPC

A statement the statement shared with PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday said the security operatives confessed to helping Mr El-Rufai to escape arrest.

“They have all confessed to receiving bribes to facilitate unauthorised entry into Restricted Areas, to obstruct lawful security operations in an unprecedented manner,” the statement read, adding they had been handed over to ICPC for prosecution.

The SSS also stated that other immigration and customs officers were also involved in the case, but did not receive bribes. Noting that their offense was abusing “their uniforms to facilitate unauthorised access,” the secret police said they will “face administrative action.”

Although, Mr El-Rufai has yet to respond to the allegations, he has always denied wrongdoing since coming under scrutiny by government agencies after returninng from his Cairo trip last month.

Mr El-Rufai, who defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC) last year after falling out with President Bola Tinubu, frames his investigations by security and anti-corruption agencies as political persecution.

A statement by his son, Bello El-Rufai, who is a member of the House of Representatives, denied ICPC’s claim in a court filing that its agents recovered a phone-tapping device during a search of the former governor’s residence in Abuja.

Other allegations against El-Rufai

Mr El-Rufa is also being prosecuted by the SSS for allegedly intercepting phone conversations of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

The former governor, on a live television interview on Arise TV claimed that Mr El-Rufai made a claim on a live interview on Arise TV that Mr Ribadu’s phone conversation was tapped, and that he heard the NSA directing security operatives to detain him.

The SSS, thereafter, filed a cybercrime charge against Mr El-Rufai, arguing that the alleged interception of the NSA’s phone contravenes Section 12(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024.

The claim also prompted security operatives to search the Abuja residence of the former governor. A few days after the search, the ICPC said it retrieved phone-tapping devices among other documents and electronic items, during the search.

While the family of the former governor acknowledged that electronic devices like old phones and laptops were found in their house, they disputed the claim that a phone-tapping device was among the items found.