Activist lawyer Deji Adeyanju has urged former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, to challenge the seizure of his international passport in court rather than engaging in public outcry.

Adeyanju made the remarks while speaking on “Security Scope,” a programme on Africa Independent Television (AIT), where he addressed the controversy surrounding the action of the Department of State Services (DSS).

He maintained that the DSS has the legal authority to seize a citizen’s passport under certain conditions, citing Section 2 of the DSS instrument pursuant to the National Security Agencies Act.

“Yes, DSS has the right to seize El-Rufai’s passport under the law,” Adeyanju said. “When somebody is declared wanted and placed on a watchlist, security agencies at entry or exit points may seize the person’s passport.”

However, he noted that such actions may raise constitutional concerns regarding a citizen’s right to freedom of movement.

Adeyanju referenced a similar case involving Olisa Agbakoba, who successfully challenged the DSS in court over passport seizure.

According to him, if El-Rufai feels aggrieved, the appropriate course of action is to seek legal redress.

“The best thing to do is not to act movies and make noise, but to go to court and challenge whether there was any legal basis for the seizure,” he said.

Adeyanju explained that there are generally two circumstances under which a citizen’s passport can be seized: by court order—such as when surrendering a passport is part of bail conditions—or when the individual has been declared wanted and placed on a security watchlist.