Security Operatives Urged to Apologise, Release Travel Document Seized from Ex-Governor

Legal representatives of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, have demanded the immediate return of his international passport and a public apology from security operatives over what they described as an unlawful attempt to detain him.

In a statement issued on Friday, counsel to the former governor, Ubong Esop Akpan of Ubong Akpan Chambers, alleged that the actions of the officers involved violated his client’s constitutional rights and due process protections.

The lawyer maintained that no security agency or arm of government possesses absolute powers to arrest or detain any citizen outside the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He stressed that all authorities must act strictly within the law.

Describing the incident as unjustified and an abuse of state power, Akpan said the move to detain the former governor and confiscate his passport was procedurally flawed and legally questionable.

According to him, despite prior signals suggesting a possible arrest, El-Rufai voluntarily returned to the country after medical treatment and rest abroad, indicating readiness to cooperate with any lawful investigation.

The legal team therefore called for an immediate cessation of what it termed unlawful harassment, the unconditional release of the seized passport, and a formal public apology to their client for the alleged infringement on his rights and personal dignity.