By Adesina Soyooye
The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG, has reported a former Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, to the Department of State Services, DSS. This stems from El-Rufai’s letter to the NSA where he alleged that the NSA’s office has imported 10 kilograms of a poisonous chemical, Thallium Sulphate, from a supplier in Poland.
A deadly poison, Thallium Sulphate is odourless and colourless and gradually, but surely kills.
In El-Rufai’s letter to the NSA dated January 30, 2026, he sought clarification as to why such a toxic chemical should be imported into the country through the office of the NSA and for what purpose.
He wrote, in part:
“As part of my duty as a citizen, I wrote to the NSA to seek clarification on reports about the importation by his office of thallium sulphate, a very dangerous toxin, “odourless and colourless’, making its presence even more worrying.”
He described the toxic chemical as extremely hazardous and subject to strict international controls. El-Rufai, also, argued that the alleged importation raised serious questions around public safety and transparency.
He sought from the NSA’s office the purpose for which the chemical was procured, the intended end-user, the company that supplied it, and whether the importation was authorised under any valid chemical or defence permit.
El-Rufai also requested details on the “exact quantity and concentration reportedly acquired, as well as how the substance would be stored and secured.”
He wanted, also, to know whether relevant regulatory and public-health authorities – National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control – were involved in assessing potential risks or developing safety and mitigation plans.
He noted: “public confidence in national institutions requires that the matter be addressed promptly and transparently.”
But in a response, the office of the NSA has asked El-Rufai to submit any evidence he has of such importation to the DSS for investigation.
In the response to El-Rufai’s allegation dated February 13, 2026, signed by Brigadier-General O.M. Adeyusi, the office of the NSA, denied any such importation, or any plans for such importation.
The letter reads in part: “I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of Your Excellency’s correspondence received on 11 February 2026 requesting clarification regarding the alleged procurement of, approximately, 10 kilograms of Thallium Sulphate by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
“I am directed to respectfully convey that ONSA has neither procured nor initiated any process for the purchase of such material, and has no intention of doing so.
“I am further directed to state that the allegation has been formally referred to the Department of State Services for a comprehensive investigation.
“Your Excellency and other parties involved, who may possess relevant information relating to this claim will be duly invited by the Service to provide any evidence that may assist in an in-depth investigation, establishing the facts and ensuring due diligence.”
The letter was delivered to El-Rufai at his Abuja residence on Sunday through his Chief Security Officer.
This is the second serious brush between Ribadu and El-Rufai, two men who were very close friends and worked together during the Presidebcy of both President’s Olusegun Obasanjo and late Muhammadu Buhari.
In an earlier brush a few days ago, El-Rufai had alleged that an order was given by Ribadu to have him arrested at the Airport, or wherever, on his return from Cairo, Egypt, where he, El-Rufai, had gone for medical attention. Asked how he knew, El-Rufai said he was told by a yet-to-be named individual who wire-tapped the NSA’s phone.
Not a few people, including the President’s main Spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, has called for a thorough investigation into El-Rufai’s claim of wire-tapping the NSA’s phone – something considered an extremely serious security breach.
Meanwhile, El-Rufai is billed to appear before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday February 16, (today) over allegations of financial inappropriateness when he was Governor of Kaduna State.
It is to be seen if his appearance at the EFCC would mark the beginning of a long spell in detention as he could be transferred from the EFCC to the DSS for investigation into his recent allegations – tapping of the NSA’s phone and the importation of the poisonous chemical- Thallium Sulphate .
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