By Abiola Olawale
Drama unfolded at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on Thursday, February 12, 2026, as security operatives reportedly attempted to take former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, into custody.
The incident occurred shortly after El-Rufai disembarked from a flight arriving from Cairo, Egypt.
According to his Media Adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, the former governor was approached by agents who sought to detain him on the spot.
In a statement shared via social media, Adekeye revealed that El-Rufai stood his ground, refusing to follow the operatives without a formal warrant or legal invitation.
”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 stated.
While the former governor resisted the immediate arrest, the encounter did not end without incident. The media aide further alleged that the security personnel seized El-Rufai’s international passport from one of his assistants before the situation settled into a tense stalemate.
The attempted arrest comes less than 24 hours after El-Rufai gave an interview to BBC Hausa, where he claimed that he was being targeted by the current administration.
El-Rufai alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is pressuring opposition figures to defect.
He noted that four of his close associates in Kaduna had already been arrested, stating, “It is only a matter of time before they come for me too.”
