Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has spoken out against what he described as an illegal attempt by security operatives to arrest him at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Thursday after he arrived from Cairo, Egypt.
El-Rufai addressed the incident in a post on his verified X handle on Thursday, February 12, accusing the authorities of flouting the rule of law.
“My lawyers have issued a statement that condemns the illegal attempt to arrest me today at the Abuja airport upon my arrival from Cairo,” El-Rufai wrote.
“Our country must outgrow executive overreach and deliberate disregard for the rule of law,” he added.
According to his media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, security agents approached El-Rufai shortly after he landed and attempted to take him into custody. However, the operatives had no formal invitation or warrant to present.
“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 said.
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The aide said the former governor refused to go with the agents without due process, insisting on being shown a lawful invitation.
When none was produced, the operatives allegedly seized his international passport from one of his aides before pulling back.
“They, however, snatched his passport from an aide,” Adekeye added.
El-Rufai’s lawyer, Ubong Akpan, had earlier released a detailed statement condemning the incident, alleging that the operatives acted without any legal backing and demanding the immediate return of the seized passport and a formal apology.
No security agency had issued an official statement on the incident as of the time this report was filed. It remains unclear whether El-Rufai is under any formal investigation.
The incident has reignited public debate about the conduct of security agencies and growing concerns over alleged executive overreach, particularly when it involves opposition figures and former public officeholders.