Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested five security personnel over an alleged security breach at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, involving former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.
The arrests come weeks after security officials reportedly attempted to detain El-Rufai at the Abuja airport on February 12, 2026, shortly after he arrived from Cairo, Egypt, aboard EgyptAir flight MS 877.
Sources indicated that the suspects are expected to face prosecution over the incident.
The arrests followed a joint investigation conducted by the Department of State Services, DSS, the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, and the Federal Ministry of Aviation.
Those detained include ASP Ayuba Yakubu of the Nigeria Police Force, Murtala Inuwa of the DSS, Najeeb Murtala of the Immigration Service, and Aviation Security personnel Musa Adamu and Salihu Victor.
According to AIT, investigators disclosed that the suspects allegedly admitted to receiving bribes to grant unauthorised access to restricted sections of the airport and to interfere with lawful security procedures.
Authorities described the development as a grave insider breach of critical national infrastructure.
The suspects have since been transferred to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC) for prosecution.
Meanwhile, additional Immigration and Customs personnel who were found to have misused their official uniforms to facilitate unauthorised access but were not deemed criminally liable will face internal disciplinary measures.
According to the authorities, the action reflects zero-tolerance to internal compromise within Nigeria’s aviation security system.
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