Five security personnel drawn from different agencies at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, have been arrested and handed over for prosecution over an alleged security breach that occurred on February 12, 2026.
The incident is reportedly linked to former Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai, although officials have yet to publicly clarify the nature of the breach or how it relates to the ex-governor.
Those detained include Ayuba Yakubu, an Assistant Superintendent of Police; Murtala Inuwa of the Department of State Services (DSS); Najeeb Murtala, an Assistant Superintendent with the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS); as well as Musa Adamu and Salihu Victor, both personnel of Aviation Security (AVSEC) under the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
Sources familiar with the development said the officers were apprehended following an internal investigation into what authorities described as a compromise of established security protocols at the airport on the said date. The specifics of the alleged breach were not immediately made public, but it was gathered that the matter was considered serious enough to warrant inter-agency scrutiny and disciplinary action.
According to insiders, the affected personnel have since been transferred to appropriate investigative bodies for further questioning and prosecution in line with existing regulations governing airport security operations.
Efforts to obtain official confirmation from relevant authorities were ongoing as of press time. However, a senior aviation security source, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, confirmed that “due process is being followed” and that the agencies involved are cooperating fully with investigators.
The arrest of the five operatives has sparked conversations within aviation and security circles about adherence to standard operating procedures at one of the country’s busiest international gateways.
Observers note that NAIA, being the nation’s capital airport, operates under strict security coordination among multiple agencies, including the police, DSS, immigration, customs, and aviation security units. Any breach, they say, raises broader concerns about inter-agency compliance and oversight.
Further details are expected as investigations progress and formal charges, if any, are filed against the detained officers.
