A mild drama played out at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Thursday, February 12, after security agents reportedly attempted to arrest former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, upon his arrival from Cairo, Egypt.

According to his media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, El-Rufai declined to accompany the operatives, insisting on a formal invitation. In a post shared on his X handle, Adekeye alleged that the agents subsequently seized the former governor’s international passport from one of his aides.

“Security agents today attempted to arrest Malam Nasir @elrufai as he arrived on a flight from Cairo. Malam El- Rufai declined to follow them without a formal Invitation. They however snatched his international passport from an aide.’’he wrote

As of Thursday evening, there has been no official confirmation from security authorities regarding the incident.

The development comes a day after El-Rufai granted an interview to BBC Hausa where he said he could be arrested in Nigeria at any time. He accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of pressuring politicians to either align with the party or face political consequences.