Security agents on Thursday allegedly attempted to arrest former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, shortly after he arrived from Cairo, Egypt.
The allegation was made by his Media Adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, in a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account.
Adekeye stated that the operatives approached El-Rufai as he disembarked from his flight and sought to take him into custody.
“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 wrote.
He further alleged that the operatives seized the former governor’s international passport during the encounter.
“They, however, snatched his passport from an aide,” the statement added.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no official confirmation from the Nigerian Immigration Service, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, or any security agency regarding the alleged attempt to arrest the former governor.
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The development comes a day after El-Rufai publicly claimed he might soon be arrested by the Federal Government.
In an interview with BBC Hausa, the former governor alleged that recent events suggested he could be the next target of what he described as political intimidation against opposition figures.
“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.
El-Rufai recently defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and has intensified his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration and the APC leadership.
He alleged that pressure was mounting on politicians to either defect to the APC or remain aligned with the ruling party, claiming that the prevailing political atmosphere was forcing individuals to make decisions based on survival rather than conviction.
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 (EFCC) has accused Malami of abuse of office and money laundering. He was later rearrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) over fresh allegations bordering on terrorism financing.
Malami, who also defected to the ADC and is reportedly eyeing the 2027 governorship race in Kebbi State, has denied the allegations, describing the charges as politically motivated and linked to his defection.
