Security agents on Thursday allegedly attempted to arrest former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, upon his return from Cairo, Egypt.
The claim was made by his Media Adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, in a post on his verified X handle.
According to Adekeye, 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,” the statement read.
Adekeye further alleged that the operatives seized the former governor’s passport during the encounter.
“They, however, snatched his passport from an aide,” he added.
El-Rufai had on Wednesday alleged that he might be arrested by the Federal Government, citing what he described as increasing political intimidation against opposition figures.
Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa, the former governor said some of his associates had been arrested.
“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, who recently defected from the All Progressives Congress to the African Democratic Congress, alleged that politicians were being pressured to either join or remain in the ruling party.
He has in recent times intensified his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration and the APC leadership.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Immigration Service and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria had yet to officially respond to the allegation as of the time of filing this report.
