Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has dismissed rumors that he plans to flee Nigeria to avoid an alleged arrest plot. In response to a post by Imran Wakili on X, El-Rufai said, “I have been hearing these same rumours of arrest, detention and torture in some dungeon in the NSA’s office since July 2024.” He accused authorities of attempting to silence him through judicial and political pressure, stating, “They want me to go on self-imposed exile. I will not. Silence is no longer golden. Inaction has never been an option.”

El-Rufai revealed that he had postponed academic and language-learning plans to spend more time in Nigeria. He also referenced past experiences with arrest and detention, adding, “The arrest, detention and torture of perceived political enemies are nothing new in human affairs. There is always a morning after the arrest or detention or torture, and political life continues.” He confirmed his intention to return to Nigeria before February 20, 2025, ahead of the scheduled launch of former President Ibrahim Babangida’s memoirs, concluding, “We depend on no one but Allah. We fear no mortal but Almighty Allah.”