The Department of State Services (DSS) has clarified the circumstances surrounding the reported seizure of former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai’s passport at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The clarification followed a viral report attributed to El-Rufai’s media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, who claimed that security agents attempted to arrest the former governor on Thursday upon his arrival from Cairo, Egypt.
Adekeye, writing on his verified X handle shortly after the incident, stated: “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.”
He further alleged that operatives seized the former governor’s passport during the encounter.
However, a source within the DSS dismissed as false and misleading claims that there was any attempt to arrest or detain El-Rufai at the airport.
According to the source, the action taken by operatives was limited to the seizure of his passport in compliance with a request from an anti-graft agency.
“We only seized his passport in response to a request by an anti-graft agency, so he would honour their invitation,” the source said.
Providing additional details, Adekeye maintained that operatives approached El-Rufai as he disembarked from his flight and sought to take him into custody.
He said the former governor declined to accompany them, insisting that he would not comply without a formal invitation, and alleged that the passport was taken from an aide.
The incident comes amid recent remarks by El-Rufai suggesting he could be arrested by the Federal Government.
Speaking to the BBC Hausa Service, the former governor alleged that recent developments indicated he might be the next target of what he described as political intimidation against opposition figures.
El-Rufai, who recently defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), disclosed that some of his unnamed associates had already been detained.
“Four people we worked with in Kaduna have been arrested; so it is only a matter of time before they come for me too,” he said.
While acknowledging that he had not been arrested, El-Rufai argued that the detention of his associates suggested possible action against him.
He further alleged that political pressure was being exerted on politicians to defect to the APC or remain within the ruling party, claiming that the current political climate was compelling individuals to act out of survival rather than conviction.
Linus Aleke in Abuja
