Security operatives on Thursday allegedly attempted to arrest former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai upon his arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport from Cairo, Egypt.
The claim was made by his media adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, in a post shared on his verified X account shortly after the incident.
According to Adekeye, security agents approached El-Rufai as he disembarked from his flight and sought to take him into custody.
He alleged that the former governor declined to accompany the operatives, insisting that he would not comply 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,” Adekeye stated.
He further claimed that during the encounter, the operatives seized El-Rufai’s passport from one of his aides.
“They, however, snatched his passport from an aide,” he added.
Previous Arrest Concerns
The development comes a day after El-Rufai alleged he could be arrested by the Federal Government, citing what he described as increasing political intimidation against opposition figures.
In an interview with BBC Hausa earlier this week, the former governor said several of his close associates had already been detained.
“Four people we worked together in Kaduna have been arrested; so it’s only a matter of time before they come for me too,” he said.
Although he acknowledged he had not been arrested at the time of the interview, he suggested that the detention of his associates signaled possible action against him.
Political Backdrop
El-Rufai recently defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a move that intensified political speculation about his standing within the current power structure.
He has also alleged that pressure is being exerted on politicians to either defect to the APC or remain aligned with the ruling party.
As of the time of filing this report, no official statement had been issued by federal authorities or security agencies regarding the alleged airport incident.
