There was tension at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Thursday following reports that security agents attempted to arrest former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, upon his arrival from Cairo, Egypt.
El-Rufai’s Media Adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, confirmed the development in a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle shortly after the incident.
According to him, the operatives approached the former governor as he disembarked from his flight and sought to take him into custody
He said El-Rufai declined to accompany the operatives, insisting on a formal invitation.
Adekeye alleged on social media that the agents subsequently seized the former governor’s international passport from one of his aides.
“As he arrived, security agents approached him, but Malam El-Rufai declined to follow them without a formal invitation.
“They, however, snatched his international passport from an aide,” Adekeye stated.
As of Thursday evening, there has been no official confirmation from security authorities regarding the incident.
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The development comes a day after El-Rufai, in an interview with BBC Hausa, said he could be arrested in Nigeria at any time.
He accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of pressuring politicians to either align with the party or face political consequences.
El-Rufai also claimed that some of his associates had already been detained.
“Four people we worked with in Kaduna have been arrested; so it’s only a matter of time before they come for me too,” he said.
El-Rufai, who governed Kaduna State for eight years under the APC platform, has in recent times intensified his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration and the party’s leadership.
