Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, is scheduled to appear before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, his lawyer has confirmed.

Counsel to the former governor, Ubong Esop Akpan, disclosed this on Thursday while reacting to what he described as an unlawful attempt by security operatives to arrest El-Rufai at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Akpan said El-Rufai was accosted by security personnel on Thursday afternoon shortly after arriving in Abuja aboard Egypt Air flight MS 877 from Cairo. He described the action as a “flagrant violation of constitutional rights, executive overreach, and a blatant disregard for the rule of law.”

According to the lawyer, the EFCC’s invitation was delivered to El-Rufai’s residence at a time when he was already outside the country, making any demand for immediate appearance unreasonable and impractical.

He explained that the former governor’s legal team had formally written to the anti-graft agency in December 2025, notifying it of El-Rufai’s unavailability and assuring that he would honour the invitation upon his return to Nigeria.

“Yesterday, we clearly informed the EFCC that Malam El-Rufai would voluntarily present himself at their office by 10:00 a.m. on Monday, February 16, 2026. Attempting to arrest him despite this explicit commitment amounts to arbitrary conduct and a serious breach of due process,” Akpan said.

The lawyer maintained that there was no legal basis for the attempted arrest, describing it as an infringement on constitutionally guaranteed freedoms. He added that El-Rufai had returned to the country after medical treatment and rest abroad, despite being aware of alleged plans to detain him.

Akpan further alleged that the interception at the airport was premeditated and amounted to an abuse of state power.

He demanded the immediate cessation of all efforts to detain the former governor, the return of his confiscated passport, and a formal apology for what he termed an unjustified violation of El-Rufai’s rights and dignity.