There was tension at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Thursday following an alleged attempt by security operatives to arrest former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.
The development was disclosed by his Media Adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, in a series of social media posts and videos, which were later retweeted by the former governor.
According to Adekeye, El-Rufai was approached by security personnel shortly after arriving in Abuja from Cairo, Egypt.
“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,” the statement read.
Adekeye said the operatives moved to take the former governor into custody immediately after he disembarked from his flight, but El-Rufai refused to comply, insisting that he would not honour the request in the absence of a formal invitation.
He further alleged that the operatives confiscated El-Rufai’s passport during the encounter.
“They, however, snatched his passport from an aide,” Adekeye added.
Although the specific agency behind the attempted arrest was not identified, it remains unclear whether the Department of State Services (DSS) or the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was involved.
A video shared online by Adekeye showed an official of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) attempting to stop bystanders from recording the incident.
The airport episode comes amid heightened political tensions surrounding the former governor, who is now a chieftain of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In a recent interview with BBC Hausa, El-Rufai had hinted at the possibility of his arrest.
“Four people we worked with in Kaduna have been arrested; so it’s only a matter of time before they come for me too,” he said.
He also alleged that political pressure was being mounted on some politicians to either defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) or remain within its fold.
As of press time, security agencies had yet to issue an official statement regarding the incident.
