Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has accused National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, of orchestrating an attempt to detain him at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Thursday, shortly after his return from Cairo, Egypt.

El-Rufai made the claims while receiving a solidarity visit from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar at his residence on Thursday night.

According to the former governor, operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), working alongside the Department of State Services (DSS)—and not the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)—confronted him at the airport and sought to take him into custody.

“It turned out that it’s the ICPC that procured DSS to abduct me and hand me over to them. The ICPC has never invited me,” El-Rufai said. “We just understand that it’s the ICPC, not EFCC, that’s responsible for what happened today, and the ICPC chairman is acting on the direct order of Nuhu Ribadu.”

In response, Atiku expressed solidarity with El-Rufai and emphasized the importance of political unity ahead of the next general elections. The former Vice President stressed that opposition forces must organize effectively to challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

“We must come together and form a very viable opposition because Tinubu is determined to turn Nigeria into a one-party state,” Atiku warned.