The former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has claimed that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) attempted to arrest him at the instance of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
He made the claim during an interview with BBC Pidgin.
Naijaonpoint recalls that DSS operatives seized the former governor’s international passport and made attempts to arrest him at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, from Cairo, Egypt, on Thursday.
Sharing more details on the incident, El-Rufai alleged that about 50 DSS operatives attempted to arrest him without a warrant.
He said, “They had come in full force. They have about 50 operatives. Subsequently, we learnt that it was the ICPC that procured the DSS to do the abduction.
“I was supposed to be abducted by the DSS handed over to ICPC.”
Meanwhile, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has stated that the Nigerian government attempt to arrest El-Rufai is an embarrassment.
Naijaonpoint reports that there was an attempt by the Department of State Services (DSS) to arrest El-Rufai at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport shortly after he arrived from Cairo, Egypt, on Egypt Air flight MS 877.
However, speaking during a solidarity visit to El-Rufai’s residence in Abuja on Thursday, Atiku argued that the security operatives should have invited the former governor instead.
He insisted that by embarrassing El-Rufai, the Federal Government has embarrassed the whole nation.
He said, “The society is based on the rule of law, there was no need for El-Rufai to be embarrassed or trying to be kidnapped.
“They would have allowed you to come to your house and then invite you. You have held high positions in government. You were a Minister, you were a governor and you successfully performed your functions.
“There was no need to embarrass you because by doing so, they are embarrassing the whole society. We will stand by you and every law-abiding citizens of Nigeria.”