El-Rufai sparks controversy after airport ‘arrest’ drama

Elrufai

Former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has described the attempt by security operatives to arrest him at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, as executive overreach and a deliberate disregard for the rule of law.

The former governor arrived at the airport to a waiting crowd of supporters who had gathered to welcome him.

In an interview with BBC Hausa on Wednesday, he stated that security agencies might arrest him soon, noting that four of his former aides had already been detained.

On Wednesday evening, he hinted in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that he would be returning to Nigeria soon.

However, a tense atmosphere prevailed at the Abuja airport on Thursday following a reported attempt by security operatives to detain El-Rufai upon his arrival from Cairo.

An aide of the former governor, Muyiwa Adekeye, reported on his X page that armed personnel approached El-Rufai shortly after he landed, attempting to escort him away.

He added that some individuals present intervened, insisting that the former governor would not comply without proper documentation. “The officers walked straight up to him and told him to follow them. But some people around insisted that he would not accompany them like that,” Adekeye said. Punch