Security operatives on Thursday allegedly attempted to arrest former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, upon his return from Cairo, Egypt.
The allegation was made by his Media Adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, in a post shared on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account shortly after the incident.
According to Adekeye, the operatives approached El-Rufai as he disembarked from his flight and sought to take him into custody. He, however, declined to accompany them, insisting that he would not honour the request without a formal invitation.
“Security agents today attempted to arrest Malam Nasir El-Rufai as he arrived on a flight from Cairo. Malam El-Rufai declined to follow them without a formal invitation,” the statement read.
Adekeye further claimed that the security personnel seized the former governor’s passport during the encounter, alleging that it was taken from one of his aides.
PUNCH Online had earlier reported that El-Rufai recently alleged he might be arrested by the Federal Government, citing what he described as increasing political pressure on opposition figures.
In an interview with BBC Hausa, the former governor said four of his associates in Kaduna had been arrested, suggesting he could be the next target.
“Four people we worked together with in Kaduna have been arrested; so it’s only a matter of time before they come for me too,” he said.
Although he noted that he had not been arrested, El-Rufai described the arrests of his associates as a sign of possible action against him. He also alleged that politicians were being pressured to either defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress or remain within the party.
El-Rufai, who recently defected from the APC to the African Democratic Congress, has in recent months intensified his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration and the APC leadership.
His comments come amid the arrest and ongoing trial of former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has accused Malami of offences including abuse of office and money laundering, while the Department of State Services reportedly rearrested him over fresh allegations related to terrorism financing.
Malami, who also defected to the ADC and is reportedly eyeing the Kebbi State governorship seat in 2027, has denied the allegations, describing them as politically motivated.
As of the time of filing this report, the Nigerian Immigration Service and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria had yet to issue an official statement regarding the alleged incident.
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