Confusion and heated debate trailed the arrival of former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, at the international airport on Thursday, following a dramatic confrontation with security operatives that critics are now labeling a “staged provocation.”
While El-Rufai’s media team confirmed that security agents attempted to take the former governor into custody and successfully seized his international passport, a prominent activist, George Udom, has countered the narrative, alleging that the entire episode was choreographed by El-Rufai himself to incite a North-South political crisis.
In a statement provided to newsmen, Udom alleged that the former governor is intentionally seeking to provoke the Federal Government through “unguarded utterances” and staged confrontations at the airport. Udom argued that the move is a strategic attempt to create regional discord ahead of the 2027 general elections. “Information reaching me suggests that the purported airport arrest was staged by El-Rufai and those he mobilized to the scene,” Udom claimed. “He is intentionally fueling a fracas to provoke the government… he wants to ignite a North-South disagreement.”
However, El-Rufai’s media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, provided a starkly different account, stating that the former governor was accosted upon his return from Cairo, Egypt. Adekeye maintained that El-Rufai refused to comply with the operatives because they failed to produce a formal invitation or a legal 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. They however snatched his international passport from an aide,” Adekeye reported via social media.
The tension was further highlighted by viral video footage showing a scuffle between men in tactical jackets and El-Rufai’s entourage. In the clips, the former governor is heard insisting on the rule of law and proper procedure before being shielded and escorted away by a crowd of supporters.
The incident marks a new low in the relationship between the former governor and the current administration, following his failed ministerial confirmation. While security agencies have yet to issue an official statement on the status of El-Rufai’s travel documents, the event has intensified fears of deepening fractures within the ruling party and the nation’s geopolitical landscape.
