Olayiwola Matthew
The Department of State Services (DSS) has confirmed that it seized the international passport of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, but dismissed claims that operatives attempted to arrest him.
The incident occurred Thursday night shortly after El-Rufai arrived in Abuja from Cairo, Egypt, triggering a flurry of claims on social media that he was being detained.
In a statement conveyed through a security source, the DSS said its operatives acted strictly on a request from an anti-corruption agency.
“There was no arrest attempt. The Service only retrieved his passport in compliance with a request by an anti-graft agency to ensure he responds to an invitation,” the source said.
The clarification followed claims by El-Rufai’s media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, who alleged via X that security officials sought to arrest the former governor upon arrival but were rebuffed after he demanded a formal invitation letter.
According to Adekeye, El-Rufai declined to accompany the operatives and insisted on due process, after which his passport was reportedly taken.
The development comes amid rising political tensions involving the former governor, who recently defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In recent interviews, El-Rufai had suggested that he could be targeted by federal authorities, citing what he described as the detention of some of his former associates in Kaduna State.
Speaking earlier to BBC Hausa, he alleged that political pressure was mounting on opposition figures and claimed that recent arrests of his allies signaled a broader pattern of intimidation.
“Four people we worked with in Kaduna have been arrested. It may only be a matter of time before they come for me too,” he had said.
While the DSS has denied any attempt to detain him, the passport seizure has fueled debate over the intersection of law enforcement actions and political realignments ahead of future electoral cycles.
As of press time, the anti-graft agency referenced by the DSS had not publicly confirmed the nature of its invitation to the former governor.
The episode marks the latest chapter in a series of public exchanges between El-Rufai and federal authorities, further intensifying political discourse surrounding his recent defection and outspoken criticism of the ruling party.