Former Kaduna State Governor and African Democratic Congress (ADC) member, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has alleged that the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, is behind the failed attempt to arrest him by the operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
El-Rufai made the allegation on Thursday night when former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, paid him a solidarity visit.
Speaking during his visit, Atiku strongly condemned the incident, describing it as not just an embarrassment to El-Rufai but to all Nigerians. 
El-Rufai, in response, thanked Atiku for the visit, noting that it was his second solidarity visit in less than six months.
“Your Excellency, you have always shown concern for my personal welfare and that of our friends and associates, and this visit further enforces that concern that you’ve consistently shown, for which I will be eternally grateful,” El-Rufai said.
“What happened at the airport today as you correctly observed was most unfortunate, totally unnecessary, and probably criminal as well, because agencies have rules of engagement and all I asked for gave me a letter of invitation, and I will visit your office, but it turned out that it was the ICPC that procured the DSS to abduct me and hand me over to them.”
El-Rufai accused the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) of orchestrating the attempted arrest.
According to him, “the ICPC chairman was acting on the direct orders of Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser”.
“We have reduced security agencies to be arms of a political party and a government that knows it is unelectable and wants to remain in power at all costs.”
The former governor urged opposition parties to remain vigilant ahead of the 2027 elections.
“I assure you that what has happened today has further reinforced my belief that we must work hard, we must not sleep between now and March 2027, until we remove this tyrant,” he said.
SaharaReporters had reported that security operatives on Thursday allegedly attempted to arrest former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, shortly after he arrived from Cairo, Egypt.
The claim was made by his Media Adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, who disclosed the development in a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle.
According to Adekeye, security agents approached El-Rufai as he disembarked from his flight and tried to take him into custody.
However, the former governor reportedly refused to honour the request, insisting that he would not accompany them without a formal invitation or official warrant.
“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 wrote.
He further alleged that during the confrontation, the operatives seized El-Rufai’s international passport from one of his aides.
“They, however, snatched his passport from an aide,” Adekeye added.
The development comes barely 24 hours after El-Rufai raised the alarm that he could be arrested at any moment, claiming he might be the next target in what he described as a widening crackdown on opposition figures.
