Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai allegedly evaded an attempt by security agents to arrest him on Thursday upon arrival at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja from Cairo, Egypt.

This was revealed by El-Rufai’s Media Adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, in a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle shortly after the incident.

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According to Adekeye, the operatives approached the former governor as he disembarked from his flight and sought to take him into custody.

He said El-Rufai declined to accompany the agents, insisting that he would not honour the request without a formal invitation.

The statement read, “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 the security personnel seized the former governor’s passport during the encounter.

“They, however, snatched his passport from an aide,” he added.

El-Rufai earlier announced that he could be arrested by the Federal Government, claiming that recent developments indicate he may be the next target.

El-Rufai made the allegation during an interview with BBC Hausa, expressing concerns over what he described as growing political intimidation against opposition figures.

The former governor, who recently defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress to the African Democratic Congress, said some of his close associates had already been detained.

“Four people we worked together in Kaduna have been arrested; so it’s only a matter of time before they come for me too,” he said.

https://x.com/MuyiwaAdekeye/status/2021939820877275226

Although he stated that he had not yet been arrested, El-Rufai suggested that the arrests of his associates signalled possible action against him.

He further alleged that political pressure was being mounted on politicians to either defect to the APC or remain within the ruling party.

According to him, the current political climate was forcing individuals to make decisions, not out of conviction but survival.

El-Rufai, who governed Kaduna State for eight years under the APC platform, has in recent times intensified his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration and the party’s leadership.

https://x.com/elrufai/status/2021960813481992432

His comments come amid the arrest and ongoing trial of a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.