Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has condemned what he described as a politically motivated move by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) following an alleged attempt to detain former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai at an airport upon his return to Nigeria.
In a message shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, Atiku disclosed that he visited El-Rufai to express support after the reported incident. He characterised the anti-graft agency’s actions as partisan and inappropriate.
According to Atiku, the attempted arrest occurred shortly after El-Rufai landed in the country. He posted photographs from his visit, showing a private meeting between both politicians.
The situation comes amid heightened political activity involving El-Rufai, who has recently aligned himself with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and voiced criticism of federal authorities.
In recent weeks, El-Rufai has publicly expressed concerns that he could face action from security agencies due to his outspoken remarks and growing involvement in opposition politics.
Reports circulating on Thursday indicated that security personnel briefly confronted him at the airport. His associates claimed the officials did not provide a warrant, resulting in a tense exchange before he was eventually permitted to leave the premises.
As of now, neither the ICPC nor any other security agency has released an official statement confirming or denying the reported encounter.