El-Rufai resists arrest as passport seized at Abuja airport
A former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, on Thursday, resisted arrest at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, minutes after he arrived from Cairo, Egypt. Short video clips trending
A former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, on Thursday, resisted arrest at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, minutes after he arrived from Cairo, Egypt.
Short video clips trending on social media show Mr. El-Rufai telling the plain-clothed security agents that he would not follow them even on the order of the President.
“Listen, nobody, not even the President, would tell me what to do. If you want to invite me, send a letter,” Mr. El-Rufai said during the airport face-off.
As of press time, it was unclear which particular security agency attempted to nab the former governor.
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Meanwhile, an aide to the former Governor, Muyiwa Adekeye, said the plain-clothed security agents seized his principal’s passport from an aide at the airport.
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In his reaction via his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, he said that security operatives targeted his boss upon his arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, from Cairo, Egypt, on Thursday.
According to Adekeye, security agents approached the former governor as he disembarked from the aircraft and attempted to take him into custody.
He said El-Rufai declined to accompany the operatives, insisting that he would not honour the request without a formal invitation.
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“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 El-Rufai’s passport during the encounter.
“They, however, snatched his passport from an aide,” he added.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no official confirmation or response from the relevant security agencies regarding the alleged incident.
The development comes amid heightened political tensions surrounding the former governor.
El-Rufai had earlier alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government might be planning to arrest him.
El-Rufai, now a prominent figure in the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), made the claim during an interview with BBC Hausa on Wednesday.
In recent weeks, he has intensified criticism of the Tinubu administration and the leadership of the APC, the party under which he served as Kaduna State governor for eight years.
