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<\/p>\nFormer 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.<\/p>\n
According to open source information available on the internet, thallium sulfate is described as\u00a0a 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.<\/p>\n
The information reads further:<\/p>\n
“Key Aspects of Thallium Sulfate:
\n\u2022 Toxicity:\u00a0It is highly poisonous, with an estimated lethal dose of\u00a0\u00a0in humans. It is absorbed quickly through the skin, inhalation, or ingestion.
\n\u2022 Mechanism:\u00a0Thallium ions disrupt essential potassium-dependent cellular processes because their ionic radii are similar.
\n\u2022 Symptoms of Poisoning:\u00a0Known as the “perfect poison” historically, symptoms include hair loss (alopecia), severe stomach pain, and neurological damage (numbness, pain in extremities).
\n\u2022 Uses:\u00a0Formerly used as a pesticide and in some medical treatments (e.g., ringworm), its use is now severely restricted or banned for consumer products.
\n\u2022 Chemical Properties:\u00a0It is water-soluble and exists as a\u00a0ratio of thallium to sulfate.<\/p>\n
“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\u00a0EPA
\n(Environmental Protection Agency) are\u00a0US federal agencies that regulate safety and health).<\/p>\n
A video of how it works and why it is described as a perfect poison is below:<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
According to Daily Trust newspaper, the letter (by El-Rufai) titled \u201dRequest for Clarification on the Procurement of Thallium Sulphate\u2019,\u00a0 El-Rufai raised some questions which he asked Ribadu to respond to.<\/p>\n
The Daily Trust report reads further:<\/p>\n
According to the letter: \u201dDear National Security Adviser. I hope this message finds you well.<\/p>\n
\u201dI 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.<\/p>\n
\u201dGiven 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:<\/p>\n
\u201d1. The intended purpose and end-use of the imported thallium sulphate.<\/p>\n
\u201d2. The supplier identity and whether the material was imported under an existing chemical or defence permit.<\/p>\n
\u201d3. The total quantity and specific form or concentration being procured or already procured.<\/p>\n
\u201d4. The storage and security arrangements for the maserial upon arrival.<\/p>\n
\u201d5. The regulatory oversight and coordination in place with NAFDAC, NCDC, and relevant public-health and environmental agencies.<\/p>\n
\u201d6. Whether any public-health risk assessments or hazard-mitigation plans have been developed, given the compound\u2019s extreme toxicity.<\/p>\n
\u201dI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
The development comes after reactions trailed El-Rufai\u2019s comment of tapping Ribadu\u2019s telephone.<\/p>\n
Speaking during an interview on ARISE Television, El-Rufai accused Ribadu of masterminding his arrest attempt at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Thursday.<\/p>\n
He claimed that the call was made available to him after Ribadu\u2019s phone was tapped by a source he failed to identify.<\/p>\n
\u2018The 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,\u201d he had said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
This is as a result of the invitation extended to him while he was overseas.<\/p>\n
Recall that former\u00a0Nasir El-Rufai\u00a0has alleged that the National Security Adviser (NSA),\u00a0Nuhu Ribadu, ordered his arrest and was behind an attempted move to detain him at the\u00a0Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport\u00a0on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Speaking in an interview on\u00a0Arise Television\u00a0on Friday, Mr El-Rufai claimed that Mr Ribadu personally directed security operatives to arrest him shortly after he arrived in Abuja from Cairo, Egypt.<\/p>\n
The incident, reported by\u00a0Everyday.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.<\/p>\n
Mr El-Rufai alleged that he became aware of the alleged order through an intercepted phone call.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe NSA\u2019s call was tapped. They do that to our calls too, and we heard him saying they should arrest me,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
A presidential aide,\u00a0Temitope 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy the time he is picked up to produce the person who illegally tapped the NSA\u2019s phone, he would say President Tinubu is a \u2018tyrant\u2019 and persecuting him,\u201d Mr Ajayi wrote.<\/p>\n
During the interview, Mr El-Rufai further alleged that Kaduna State Governor\u00a0Uba Sani, Mr Ribadu and the chairman of the\u00a0Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission\u00a0(ICPC) had conspired to abduct him.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet me tell you, Kaduna Governor Uba Sani, the NSA and the ICPC chairman have arranged that I get abducted unfailingly today,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
He denied any involvement in the case and rejected suggestions that his administration was linked to the activist\u2019s disappearance. According to him, Dadiyata was primarily a critic of political actors in Kano State rather than Kaduna.<\/p>\n
\u201cDadiyata 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The case remains unresolved despite repeated calls from civil society groups for a thorough investigation.<\/p>\n
Mr El-Rufai also addressed a bill proposed by some United States lawmakers seeking sanctions against former Kano State Governor\u00a0Rabiu Kwankwaso\u00a0over alleged links to terrorism.<\/p>\n
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\u00a0Ahmad Yerima, under whose administration Sharia was first implemented in Zamfara State.<\/p>\n
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\u00a0Economic and Financial Crimes Commission\u00a0(EFCC) on Monday in response to an invitation for questioning.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have nothing to hide,\u201d he said, denying any wrongdoing during his eight-year tenure as governor of Kaduna State.<\/p>\n
Both the EFCC and the ICPC are currently investigating corruption allegations against the former governor.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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\u00a0a highly toxic, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":97686,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[4380,988,4766,7996],"class_list":["post-97687","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","tag-el-rufai-2","tag-importation","tag-ribadu","tag-thallium-sulphate"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97687","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=97687"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97687\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/97686"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=97687"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=97687"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=97687"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}