A tense standoff unfolded at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Thursday when security operatives reportedly approached former Kaduna State Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai following his return from Cairo, Egypt.
El-Rufai’s media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, said the former governor refused to accompany the agents without receiving a formal invitation. Adekeye claimed on social media that the operatives then confiscated El-Rufai’s international passport from one of his aides.
“Security agents approached him upon arrival, but Malam El-Rufai declined to follow them without a formal invitation. They subsequently took his international passport from an aide,” Adekeye wrote.
By Thursday evening, security authorities had not issued any official statement about the alleged incident.
The airport confrontation occurred one day after El-Rufai told BBC Hausa in an interview that he expected to be arrested at any time. He accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of forcing politicians to either fall in line with the party or face consequences, and said several of his former associates had already been detained.
“Four people we worked with in Kaduna have been arrested, so it’s only a matter of time before they come for me too,” El-Rufai said in the interview.
If verified, political observers say the airport incident could heighten concerns about Nigeria’s political environment as the country approaches future electoral cycles.
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