Security operatives on Thursday, allegedly attempted to arrest former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai as he arrived at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport from Cairo, Egypt.
El-Rufai’s media adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, made the claim in a post on his verified X (previously Twitter) account shortly after the incident.
According to Adekeye, the operatives approached the former governor as he stepped off the plane and attempted to arrest him.
He claimed El-Rufai rejected joining the agents, stating that he would not honor the request without an official invitation.
The statement read, “Security agents today attempted to arrest Mallam Nasir El-Rufai as he arrived on a flight from Cairo. Mallam El-Rufai declined to follow them without a formal invitation.”
Adekeye also alleged that the security personnel seized the former governor’s passport during the encounter.
“They, however, snatched his passport from an aide,” he added.
Chronicle NG reports that El-Rufai 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 accusation during an interview with BBC Hausa, expressing alarm about what he saw as increasing political harassment of opposition figures.
The former governor, who just defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress to the African Democratic Congress, stated that several of his close associates had already been held.
“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 said that he had not yet been arrested, El-Rufai implied that the arrests of his associates foreshadowed potential action against him.
He further said that political pressure was being put on politicians to either defect to the APC or remain in the ruling party.
According to him, the current political climate forces people to make judgments based on survival rather than conviction.
El-Rufai, who led Kaduna State for eight years on the APC platform, has recently increased his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration and the party’s leadership.
His words come as former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami is arrested and facing trial.
Malami was charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission with abuse of office and money laundering.
The Department of State Service later arrested him on new terrorism financing charges.
Malami, who also defected to the ADC and hopes to run for governor of Kebbi State in 2027, has refuted all claims, describing them as a “political witch-hunt” motivated by his defection and opposition.
As of the time of posting this story, neither the Nigerian Immigration Service nor the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria has formally responded to El-Rufai’s attempted arrest.
