Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has called on the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to publicly clarify reports alleging that the Office of the National Security Adviser imported thallium sulphate, a highly toxic substance considered extremely dangerous.
According to open source information available on the internet, thallium sulfate is described as a highly toxic, odorless, and colorless inorganic salt that forms a white crystalline powder. Historically used as a potent rodenticide and insecticide, it was banned in many regions, including the U.S. in 1975, due to extreme toxicity to humans and animals. It acts as a cumulative poison, affecting the nervous system and hair.
The information reads further:
“Key Aspects of Thallium Sulfate:
• Toxicity: It is highly poisonous, with an estimated lethal dose of in humans. It is absorbed quickly through the skin, inhalation, or ingestion.
• Mechanism: Thallium ions disrupt essential potassium-dependent cellular processes because their ionic radii are similar.
• Symptoms of Poisoning: Known as the “perfect poison” historically, symptoms include hair loss (alopecia), severe stomach pain, and neurological damage (numbness, pain in extremities).
• Uses: Formerly used as a pesticide and in some medical treatments (e.g., ringworm), its use is now severely restricted or banned for consumer products.
• Chemical Properties: It is water-soluble and exists as a ratio of thallium to sulfate.
“It is regulated by agencies such as OSHA and the EPA due to its extreme risk.” – OSHA is Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the EPA
(Environmental Protection Agency) are US federal agencies that regulate safety and health).
A video of how it works and why it is described as a perfect poison is below:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.youtube.com/shorts/KyFhJEhzrsg&ved=2ahUKEwjSroSl7NuSAxXTYEEAHd2iHykQmL8OegYIAQgDEBI&opi=89978449&cd&psig=AOvVaw3DBjkCJtEVQItuMEQLEdLv&ust=17712569025330 0
According to Daily Trust newspaper, the letter (by El-Rufai) titled ”Request for Clarification on the Procurement of Thallium Sulphate’, El-Rufai raised some questions which he asked Ribadu to respond to.
The Daily Trust report reads further:
According to the letter: ”Dear National Security Adviser. I hope this message finds you well.
”I am writing as a concerned citizen to seek clarification and reassurance regarding information available to the political opposition leadership about a procurement of approximately 10 kilograms of Thallium Sulphate by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), reportedly from a supplier in Poland.
”Given that thallium salts are highly toxic and tightly controlled substances, I believe it is important for public safety, democratic accountability and for maintaining public trust to confirm the following details:
”1. The intended purpose and end-use of the imported thallium sulphate.
”2. The supplier identity and whether the material was imported under an existing chemical or defence permit.
”3. The total quantity and specific form or concentration being procured or already procured.
”4. The storage and security arrangements for the maserial upon arrival.
”5. The regulatory oversight and coordination in place with NAFDAC, NCDC, and relevant public-health and environmental agencies.
”6. Whether any public-health risk assessments or hazard-mitigation plans have been developed, given the compound’s extreme toxicity.
”I want to stress that this inquiry is made in good faith, solely to ensure that due processes, safety standards, and transparency are observed. Public confidence in the integrity of national institutions is strengthened when potential risks are openly addressed and managed.”
The development comes after reactions trailed El-Rufai’s comment of tapping Ribadu’s telephone.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE Television, El-Rufai accused Ribadu of masterminding his arrest attempt at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Thursday.
He claimed that the call was made available to him after Ribadu’s phone was tapped by a source he failed to identify.
‘The government believes it is the only one that listens to calls, but we also have our ways. He made the call and gave the order. Someone tapped his phone. The government listens to our calls all the time without a court order. Someone tapped his phone and told us that he gave the order,” he had said.
The former Kaduna governor, who has repeatedly accused the current administration of witch-hunt, has vowed to appear before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Monday.
This is as a result of the invitation extended to him while he was overseas.
Recall that former Nasir El-Rufai has alleged that the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, ordered his arrest and was behind an attempted move to detain him at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on Thursday.
Speaking in an interview on Arise Television on Friday, Mr El-Rufai claimed that Mr Ribadu personally directed security operatives to arrest him shortly after he arrived in Abuja from Cairo, Egypt.
The incident, reported by Everyday.ng, reportedly involved a verbal exchange between the former governor and security officials at the airport. Eyewitnesses said he was briefly restrained and had his international passport confiscated before being escorted out of the airport. Supporters had gathered at the airport to welcome him, chanting as he left the premises.
Mr El-Rufai alleged that he became aware of the alleged order through an intercepted phone call.
“The NSA’s call was tapped. They do that to our calls too, and we heard him saying they should arrest me,” he said during the interview. He did not provide evidence to support the claim, and the Office of the National Security Adviser has yet to respond to the allegation.
A presidential aide, Temitope Ajayi, criticised the claim in a Facebook post on Friday. He said Mr El-Rufai had admitted on national television to listening to a tapped conversation involving the NSA, describing such an act as illegal.
“By the time he is picked up to produce the person who illegally tapped the NSA’s phone, he would say President Tinubu is a ‘tyrant’ and persecuting him,” Mr Ajayi wrote.
During the interview, Mr El-Rufai further alleged that Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, Mr Ribadu and the chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had conspired to abduct him.
“Let me tell you, Kaduna Governor Uba Sani, the NSA and the ICPC chairman have arranged that I get abducted unfailingly today,” he said.
Mr El-Rufai was also questioned about the disappearance of Abubakar Idris, popularly known as Dadiyata, a social media commentator who was abducted from his Kaduna residence in 2019 and has not been seen since.
He denied any involvement in the case and rejected suggestions that his administration was linked to the activist’s disappearance. According to him, Dadiyata was primarily a critic of political actors in Kano State rather than Kaduna.
“Dadiyata lives in Kaduna; he was not a critic of Kaduna State. We barely knew he resided in Kaduna until his abduction was reported. He was a critic of the Kano government at the time,” he said.
The case remains unresolved despite repeated calls from civil society groups for a thorough investigation.
Mr El-Rufai also addressed a bill proposed by some United States lawmakers seeking sanctions against former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso over alleged links to terrorism.
He dismissed the move as politically motivated and rejected claims linking Mr Kwankwaso to terrorism. He argued that if political scrutiny was to be applied over the introduction of Sharia law in northern Nigeria, attention should focus on Ahmad Yerima, under whose administration Sharia was first implemented in Zamfara State.
Despite alleging political persecution, Mr El-Rufai said he remains willing to honour lawful invitations from security and anti-corruption agencies. He confirmed that he would appear before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday in response to an invitation for questioning.
“I have nothing to hide,” he said, denying any wrongdoing during his eight-year tenure as governor of Kaduna State.
Both the EFCC and the ICPC are currently investigating corruption allegations against the former governor.
