El-Rufai EFCC appearance
Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai on Monday reported at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja for questioning, as protests broke out outside the agency’s gates from supporters and opposing groups. 
El-Rufai’s visit followed weeks of mounting political tension around claims of investigations linked to his time in office, and public allegations by the former governor that he could be targeted for arrest. 
At the EFCC entrance, security operatives restricted access for some members of El-Rufai’s entourage, triggering a brief commotion around the gate area, according to multiple reports. 
Outside the premises, two different groups converged around the approach to the commission. One group chanted in support of El-Rufai, displaying placards with messages including “El-Rufai is a citizen, not a subject” and “We stand with El-Rufai. We stand for law.” 
A second group, described as anti–El-Rufai protesters, also gathered in the vicinity with banners urging the EFCC to “let the law catch up” with the former governor and calling for him to answer questions. 
A video circulating online showed supporters alleging that they were dispersed with teargas while claiming that an opposing group was allowed to assemble nearby. Some outlets also reported teargas being fired during clashes around the protest area. 
What the EFCC invitation is about
Public reporting indicates that the EFCC’s interest in El-Rufai is tied to ongoing investigations into alleged corruption during his tenure as governor of Kaduna State. 
According to the same reports, the EFCC delivered an invitation letter to El-Rufai’s residence in December 2025, after he travelled abroad on November 30, 2025. 
El-Rufai, now described as a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) following his defection from the APC, had notified the commission that he would appear at the EFCC office by 10:00 a.m. Monday. 
This scheduled visit is the centre of today’s developing story and the reason the El-Rufai EFCC appearance drew crowds and heavy security around the Abuja headquarters.
https://ogelenews.ng/el-rufai-efcc-appearance-supporters-protest
The airport incident that raised the temperature
The El-Rufai EFCC appearance also comes days after El-Rufai’s camp alleged there was an attempt to arrest him at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, shortly after he returned from Cairo. 
El-Rufai’s media adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, claimed on X that security agents moved to arrest him on arrival but that El-Rufai declined to go with them without a formal invitation. The adviser also alleged the former governor’s passport was seized during the encounter. 
In a separate interview with BBC Hausa referenced in reports, El-Rufai described the airport episode as “executive overreach” and warned he could be arrested at any time, adding that several of his former aides had already been detained. 
Those earlier claims helped set the stage for Monday’s El-Rufai EFCC appearance, turning what might have been a routine visit into a political flashpoint watched closely across the country.
Why the protests matter
For supporters, the El-Rufai EFCC appearance is being framed as a test of the rule of law and due process. Their slogans and placards leaned heavily on rights language, portraying the former governor as entitled to lawful treatment like any other citizen. 
For critics, the opposing protest line was simple: if the EFCC is investigating, the former governor should answer questions without hiding behind politics. 
The optics matter because they reflect a wider Nigerian argument about anti-corruption enforcement: when a high-profile politician is invited, half the country reads it as accountability; the other half reads it as intimidation. Monday’s rival protests made that split visible in real time during the El-Rufai EFCC appearance.
What we know, and what we do not
What is clear from reports is that El-Rufai arrived at the EFCC headquarters and that protests occurred outside, including claims of teargas dispersal. 
What remains unclear, based on publicly available reporting at the time of writing, is the full scope of the EFCC’s questions, whether any formal charges are imminent, and whether further restrictions will be placed on El-Rufai following the El-Rufai EFCC appearance.
For now, the key fact is the former governor’s decision to show up, and the political storm that followed him to the gate.
As events develop, Nigerians will be watching for three things: whether the EFCC issues an official statement, whether El-Rufai’s team provides a formal account of the session, and whether today’s El-Rufai EFCC appearance becomes a turning point in the broader political confrontation he has been warning about. 
https://punchng.com/el-rufai-arrives-efcc-office-supporters-protest
