…DSS said, “They have all confessed to receiving bribes to enable unauthorised access to restricted areas
ABUJA, NIGERIA- The iNews Times | The Department of State Services (DSS) has detained five security operatives who attended to former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on February 12, 2026, over alleged violations of professional conduct.
The agency said the officers, drawn from the Nigeria Police Force, the DSS, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), and Aviation Security (AVSEC) allegedly received bribes to grant the former governor access to restricted areas of the airport, thereby disrupting security procedures in what it described as an “unprecedented” manner.
Those identified include Ayuba Yakubu, an assistant superintendent of police; Mutala Inuwa, a DSS operative; Najeeb Murtala, an assistant superintendent of immigration; and Musa Adamu and Salihu Victor of AVSEC. A security source disclosed that all five admitted to collecting payments to facilitate unauthorised entry into restricted sections of the airport on the day El-Rufai returned from abroad.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the DSS said a joint investigation involving the DSS, the NIS, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and the Federal Ministry of Aviation led to the officers’ detention.
“They have all confessed to receiving bribes to enable unauthorised access to restricted areas and to obstruct lawful security operations in an unprecedented manner,” the statement read.
The agency added that the officers have been transferred to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for prosecution.
It further noted that administrative sanctions would be imposed on other NIS and NCS personnel who, though not accused of taking bribes, allegedly misused their uniforms to facilitate illegal access.
