Chaos erupted at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on Thursday following a move by security agents to arrest and detain former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
The incident occurred shortly after El-Rufai disembarked from a flight arriving from Cairo.
Footage circulating online captures a tense confrontation during which officials reportedly confiscated the former governor’s passport, triggering an immediate outcry from his supporters.
While El-Rufai was met by agents seeking to take him into custody without prior notice, official sources have yet to provide a reason for the encounter.
He firmly resisted, emphasizing the need for proper protocol. “If you want to invite me, write me a letter,” El-Rufai reportedly told the security officials at the airport, refusing to comply until a formal summons was issued.
Muyiwa Adekeye, El-Rufai’s media aide, publicly detailed the ordeal, claiming that the agents overstepped their bounds.
“Security agents today attempted to arrest Malam Nasir elrufai as he arrived on a flight from Cairo,” Adekeye stated in his account.
He further explained that El-Rufai stood his ground, insisting on official documentation before any cooperation.
Adekeye continued by noting the aggressive tactics employed during the encounter.
“Malam El-Rufai declined to follow them without a formal Invitation,” he added, highlighting how the situation escalated when the agents forcibly removed the passport from one of El-Rufai’s assistants.
“They however snatched his passport from an aide,” Adekeye recounted, underscoring the lack of due process.
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