It has been revealed that the Department of State Services (DSS) seized the international passport of former Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Thursday, based on a request from an anti-graft agency.

A source in the DSS told Arise News that the passport was seized to ensure El-Rufai honours an invitation from the anti-graft agency.

The source, however, claimed that there was no attempt to arrest or detain him.

Naija News recalls that upon arrival from Cairo, Egypt, on Thursday, security operatives reportedly seized the international passport of the former Governor.

His media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, in a post on his 𝕏 account, said security agents attempted to arrest El-Rufai, but the former Governor resisted them and demanded a formal invitation, after which they took his international passport from an aide.

The statement from Adekeye reads: “Security agents today attempted to arrest Malam Nasir elrufai as he arrived on a flight from Cairo. Malam El-Rufai declined to follow them without a formal Invitation. They however snatched his passport from an aide.”

While no security agency has officially confirmed the matter, it is widely believed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) wants the African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain for questioning in an ongoing investigation.