ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Tension briefly flared at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Thursday following reports that security operatives attempted to arrest former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, upon his return from Cairo, Egypt.
The claim was made by his media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, who alleged that the operatives approached El-Rufai shortly after he arrived but failed to present any formal invitation or warrant.
According to Adekeye, the former governor declined to accompany the officers without an official communication.
“As he arrived, security agents approached him, but Malam El-Rufai declined to follow them without a formal invitation. They, however, snatched his international passport from an aide,” Adekeye wrote on social media.
As of Thursday evening, security authorities had not issued any official statement confirming or denying the alleged incident.
The reported development comes barely 24 hours after El-Rufai, in an interview with BBC Hausa, said he anticipated possible arrest in Nigeria.
In the interview, he accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of mounting pressure on politicians to either align with the party or face political consequences.
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“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 claimed that some of his former associates had already been detained.
Political observers say that if confirmed, the airport incident could heighten concerns about the country’s political atmosphere, especially amid shifting alliances and early manoeuvring ahead of future elections.
The absence of an official position from security agencies has further fueled speculation surrounding the circumstances of the encounter.
For now, the situation remains clouded, with the former governor’s camp insisting that due process was not followed.