El-Rufai Alleges NSA Ribadu Ordered His Arrest at Abuja Airport
The immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has accused National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu of orchestrating his attempted arrest at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Thursday.
The former governor said the arrest attempt led to a tense confrontation with security operatives, with some of his supporters reportedly surrounding him to prevent his detention.
El-Rufai told Arise Television yesterday that he became aware of Ribadu’s involvement after intercepting a telephone conversation in which the NSA allegedly directed security officials to detain him.
“The NSA’s call was tapped. They do that to our calls too, and we heard him saying they should arrest me,” he said.
He also claimed that his successor, Kaduna Governor Uba Sani, and the chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) were part of a plot to abduct him.
“Let me tell you, Kaduna Governor Uba Sani, the NSA and the ICPC chairman have arranged that I get abducted unfailingly today,” El-Rufai said.
The former governor confirmed on X that the ICPC has invited him for questioning. “Yesterday (Thursday), after the futile attempt to abduct me, the ICPC delivered a letter to invite me to their office,” he wrote, adding that he would attend on Wednesday, 18 February 2026. He also said he would honour an invitation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday.
El-Rufai insisted he has “nothing to hide” regarding his eight-year tenure as governor.
He also criticised moves by some US lawmakers to sanction former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso over alleged terrorism links, calling them politically motivated and asserting that Kwankwaso has no connection to terrorism.
He further argued that scrutiny over the introduction of Sharia law in northern Nigeria should focus on Zamfara State, where it was first implemented under then-governor Ahmed Yerima, rather than on Kwankwaso.
Reacting to El-Rufai’s claims, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, questioned the former governor’s admission of phone tapping.
“El-Rufai admitted on national television that someone tapped the phone of the NSA for him to listen to his conversation. When the interviewer interjected that it was illegal, El-Rufai agreed. By the time he is asked to produce the person who illegally tapped the NSA’s phone, he would claim President Tinubu is a ‘tyrant’ persecuting him,” Ajayi said on Facebook.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
