Security operatives from the Department of State Services (DSS) on Thursday accosted former Kaduna State’s Governor Nasir El-Rufai at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, when he landed from a flight from Cairo, Egypt.
An aide said the operatives seized El-Rufai’s international passport from one of his assistants.
The former Governor last year defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), in a coalition positioning itself against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 elections .
Videos on social media and a posting on the verified X (formerly Twitter) handle by his Media Adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, highlighted the incident.
As narrated by Adekeye, security agents approached El-Rufai as he disembarked from his flight and tried to take him into custody.
However, the former Governor and his supporters resisted stiffly.
He said would not go anywhere with them without a formal invitation or 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 during the confrontation, the operatives seized El-Rufai’s international passport from one of his aides.
“They, however, snatched his passport from an aide,” Adekeye added.
As of the time of filing this report, no security agency had issued an official statement on the alleged incident.
The development comes barely 24 hours after El-Rufai warned he could be arrested at any moment, claiming he might be the next target in what he described as a widening crackdown on opposition figures.
In an interview with BBC Hausa on Wednesday, the former Governor said the arrest of four of his associates in Kaduna suggested he could soon be picked up by authorities.
“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.
Although he confirmed at the time that he had not been arrested, El-Rufai maintained that the country’s political atmosphere had grown increasingly hostile toward opposition politicians.
He has also publicly distanced himself from the President, rejecting suggestions of any personal relationship. In a recent television interview, he stated that he and Tinubu “never got along” and had no personal ties.
“I was not Tinubu’s friend. We never got along with Tinubu. We never had a personal relationship,” he said.
El-Rufai also disclosed that although he was offered a ministerial position, he would have left the administration due to what he described as deep philosophical and governance differences.
“I am in government for delivery, for results and performance. Public service is not about making money for yourself, it’s not about stealing, it’s not about appointing your cronies or your tribesmen,” he said, adding that the current administration’s approach runs contrary to his beliefs.
With Thursday’s alleged airport incident, tensions between El-Rufai and the Federal Government appear to be escalating, further heightening Nigeria’s already charged political climate. Observers say the coming days may determine whether his fears of imminent arrest will materialise.
