Security agents on Thursday allegedly attempted to arrest former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, upon his arrival at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, from Cairo, Egypt.
The claim was made by El-Rufai’s Media Adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, in a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle shortly after the incident.
According to Adekeye, 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 agents, insisting that he would not honour the request without a formal invitation.
The statement read, “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 further alleged that the security personnel seized the former governor’s passport during the encounter.
“They, however, snatched his passport from an aide,” he added.
El-Rufai had earlier alleged that he could be arrested by the Federal Government, claiming that recent developments indicate he may be the next target.
El-Rufai made the allegation during an interview with BBC Hausa, expressing concerns over what he described as growing political intimidation against opposition figures.
The former governor, who recently defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress to the African Democratic Congress, said some 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.
