Security Operatives Attempted to Arrest El-Rufai at Abuja Airport, Aide Claims

Security operatives on Thursday reportedly attempted to arrest former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja shortly after he arrived 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 and sought to take him into custody. The former governor, however, declined to comply, insisting he would not follow them without a formal invitation or an official warrant.

“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,” Adekeye wrote.

He further alleged that the operatives seized El-Rufai’s international passport from an aide during the confrontation.

Security agencies had not issued any official statement regarding the incident as of the time of this report.

The alleged attempt comes less than 24 hours after El-Rufai told the BBC Hausa that he feared he could be the next target of a government crackdown on opposition figures. He noted that four of his former associates in Kaduna had already been arrested, adding, “It’s only a matter of time before they come for me too.”

El-Rufai recently defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress to the African Democratic Congress, aligning with a coalition positioning itself against President Bola Tinubu. He has also publicly dismissed any personal relationship with the President, stating in a recent interview, “I was not Tinubu’s friend. We never got along.”

He claimed he was offered a ministerial position but would have exited the administration due to fundamental disagreements over governance philosophy.

Thursday’s incident, if confirmed, marks a sharp escalation in tensions between the former governor and the federal government, further deepening the country’s polarised political climate.