In the midst of controversy over an alleged plot by security personnel to grab his passport, activist lawyer Deji Adeyanju has stated that former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai is facing “karma” rather than persecution.
Adeyanju stated that he was not certain that there was a specific plan to arrest Nasir El-Rufai during an interview on Friday on ARISE PrimeTime, an Arise News current affairs program.
I don’t think Mallam El-Rufai was going to be arrested. He is always really dramatic and fantastic. When he showed up, he was ready for the cameras and understood what he was doing. I believe they intended to target his passport, which the DSS was able to obtain.
According to him, arrests are allowed under Nigerian law either with a court-issued warrant or based on probable cause, as allowed by current statutes. He insisted that there were established legal procedures to hold the former governor if that was the intention of the government.
Adeyanju further claimed that a number of opponents were detained without warrants while El-Rufai was governor of Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023. He named a number of people who publicly disagreed with the former governor, including journalist and activist Steven Kefas of Kaduna and former National Human Rights Commission chairman Chidi Odinkalu.
“He was lucky that his passport was taken from him,” Adeyanju said, arguing that past actions by those in authority often shape public reaction when they themselves face scrutiny.
The activist stressed that no individual should be above the law, noting that any allegations of financial misconduct or abuse of office must be properly investigated. He urged anti-graft and security agencies not to succumb to what he described as blackmail or intimidation in the course of their duties.
“Immediately you are on the DSS watchlist, it goes without saying that they will target your passport. It has happened to Natasha Akpoti and Omoyele Sowore, and the same thing is what happened to El-Rufai. I believe they don’t want to arrest him,” he added.
Adeyanju also referenced former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, saying El-Rufai was facing similar scrutiny to other former officials.
“My call is for El-Rufai to be investigated. I am saying his rights must be respected. When they were in power, they behaved like gods; they didn’t always follow due process. Teachers went to court and obtained a restraining order against El-Rufai while he was governor not to sack them, but he proceeded with the dismissals. I am calling for him to be investigated for alleged corruption. Some of his aides have reportedly faced investigations; he should submit himself. Oppressors of yesterday cannot become heroes of today,” he said.
