Security personnel on Thursday allegedly attempted to arrest former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai upon his arrival at Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, from Cairo, Egypt.
The claim was made by El-Rufai’s media adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, who said operatives approached the former governor as he disembarked, seeking to take him into custody. El-Rufai reportedly refused, insisting that he would only comply with a formal invitation. Adekeye also alleged that the security agents seized the former governor’s passport from one of his aides during the encounter.
El-Rufai, who recently defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has in recent months intensified criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration and APC leadership. He had earlier warned in an interview with BBC Hausa that political intimidation against opposition figures appeared to be intensifying and cited the detention of four of his close associates in Kaduna as evidence.
The incident comes against a backdrop of high-profile political arrests, including the former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, who was accused of abuse of office and money laundering, and later rearrested on allegations related to terrorism financing. Malami has described the charges as politically motivated, linked to his defection and opposition stance.
The Nigerian Immigration Service and the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria have not issued official statements regarding the attempted arrest as of filing.
