Buhari Demands El-Rufai’s Release

Former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, was arrested yesterday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja by men of the State Security Services. Already, Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and ex-Head of State, has asked for El-Rufai’s immediate release.

El-Rufai was arriving from London on a British Airways flight which landed around 4.40am. But just as the former minister came out of the aircraft, he was apprehended and whisked away by the SSS operatives to their headquarters.

Follow ups done by the Nigeria Politics Online indicate that El-Rufai was driven to the SSS headquarters where he was being detained until the arrival of the Director-General of the services, Ita Ekpeyong.

A close associate of the former minister told the Nigeria Politics Online that the last contact made with El-Rufai at about 10am showed that his mobile phone battery was running out.

The associate said on condition of anonymity, “The last contact we made with him through twitter showed that his battery was running out. Now, his phone is off but we learnt from him before his phone went off that he had been taken before the DG of SSS.

“There is no contact with his lawyers and his family members now.”

His wife, Hajia Afia is among family members and associates who are waiting at the office of the SSS at the moment.

The former minister was in London last week where he presented a paper on the alleged fraud that attended the last presidential election.

He has also been very critical of President Goodluck Jonathan lately.