Former presidential aspirant, Omoyele Sowore, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately order the release of the international passport of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, following an attempted arrest at the airport.

Sowore described the move by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as a “show of shame” and urged that such acts be condemned.

Operatives of the EFCC had reportedly tried to detain El-Rufai upon his arrival in Nigeria from Cairo, Egypt, prompting widespread reactions.

Reacting to the incident on his Facebook page, Sowore stated: “Crying shame. Tinubu must release @elrufai’s passport now. The harassment of the former Kaduna State Governor at the airport today is thoroughly condemned, and the display of such unprofessionalism by security agents is regrettable. It was a show of shame.”

Meanwhile, El-Rufai’s lawyers have threatened to take legal action against the EFCC over what they described as an unlawful attempt to detain their client.

Supporters of the former governor have also rallied, insisting that he remains their leader and nothing untoward would happen.

The incident has sparked discussions about the conduct of security agencies and raised questions about the professional handling of high-profile individuals in Nigeria.