Former Flying Eagles winger Rilwanu Sarki has reportedly been arrested by the Nigerian police in Abuja.
Soccernet.ng reports that the 22-year-old Nigerian winger currently plays for United Arab Emirates (UAE) giants Al Ain. He is coming off a successful season that saw his club crowned as the UAE Pro League champions and UAE President’s Cup winners.
Sarki, who joined the club in 2023, played a peripheral role, featuring in just eight games all season. Nonetheless, he still walked away with two winners’ medals.
Typically, when Nigerian players finish their campaigns with their foreign clubs, they return home to spend the off-season holidays with family. Sarki followed suit, but his return to Nigeria took a sharp turn for the worse when he was reportedly arrested upon arrival at the airport in Abuja.
Rilwanu Sarki: Why Was the Former Flying Eagles Player Arrested?
Sarki was returning home for his post-season holiday when he was reportedly met by a joint team from the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Immigration Service at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
According to Oga Nla Media, Sarki was arrested due to his failure to honor several police invitations related to a criminal investigation from over a year ago. However, the specific details of the case in question have not yet been revealed.
Reports suggest that efforts are underway to secure his release from custody, with calls being made to several high-ranking officials within both the police and immigration services.
As of press time, neither the Nigeria Police Force nor the Nigeria Immigration Service has released an official statement on the matter, and Soccernet.ng’s efforts to reach them has been unsuccessful.
Sarki was a member of Nigeria’s under-20 team, the Flying Eagles, from 2022 to 2023. He played a prominent role in the 2023 Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations, helping Nigeria to a third-place finish. He also featured in four games during the 2023 Under-20 World Cup, contributing to the Flying Eagles’ run to the quarterfinals.