Security agents on Thursday reportedly attempted to arrest former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, at the airport upon his return from Cairo, Egypt.
The development was disclosed by his media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, in a post shared on his 𝕏 account.
According to Adekeye, security operatives moved to arrest El-Rufai shortly after his arrival. However, the former governor resisted the move and insisted on receiving a formal invitation before honouring any request.
Adekeye further alleged that during the encounter, the security agents seized El-Rufai’s passport from one of his aides.
His 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. They, however, snatched his passport from an aide.”
El-Rufai had earlier raised concerns that the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government might be planning his arrest amid growing political tension in the country.
The former APC chieftain, who is now a key figure in the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), had also claimed that some politicians were being pressured to defect to the ruling party or remain within its fold.
He made the allegations during an interview with BBC Hausa, where he stated that although he had not been arrested, some of his close associates had already been detained.
In recent weeks, El-Rufai has intensified his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration and the APC, raising speculation about political motivations behind the alleged attempt to arrest him.
As of the time of filing this report, security agencies were yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
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