Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has ignited fresh national concern after formally writing to the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, over what he described as the alleged importation of a highly toxic substance into Nigeria under the authority of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
In the letter, El-Rufai said opposition leaders received credible information suggesting that approximately 10 kilograms of thallium sulphate — a colourless, odourless and extremely poisonous chemical — was procured from a foreign supplier and brought into the country. He warned that such a substance, historically associated with lethal poisoning and now tightly restricted worldwide, raises grave public-safety and governance questions that cannot be ignored.
The former governor demanded full disclosure of the purpose of the chemical, the procurement process, the agencies involved, and the safeguards in place to prevent misuse or accidental exposure. He also requested clarification on whether Nigeria’s health and regulatory authorities, including NAFDAC and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), were informed or involved in any risk assessment tied to the substance.
Framing his inquiry as a matter of national responsibility rather than partisan dispute, El-Rufai argued that any importation of a lethal toxin by a state security office must meet the highest standards of transparency and legal oversight. He stressed that Nigerians have a right to know whether hazardous materials are being introduced into the country, by whom, and for what lawful purpose.
The allegation comes against the backdrop of an intensifying rift between El-Rufai and the federal security establishment, but analysts note that the gravity of the claim transcends political rivalry. Thallium compounds are among the most dangerous heavy-metal poisons known, capable of causing severe neurological damage or death even at very small doses. Their movement across borders is typically subject to strict international controls and monitoring regimes.
For many observers, the issue now extends beyond domestic politics into the realm of global chemical-security norms. Nigeria is a signatory to multiple international conventions governing hazardous substances and public-health safety. Any suggestion that a banned or highly restricted toxin may have been imported by a government office — if substantiated — could trigger serious international scrutiny and reputational consequences.
El-Rufai’s intervention is therefore being framed by supporters as a whistle-blowing act in the public interest, intended to compel institutional accountability and reassure citizens that no state authority operates above the law. They argue that silence or delay in addressing the allegation risks deepening public distrust in security institutions already under pressure from widespread insecurity.
As of press time, there has been no official response from Ribadu or the Office of the National Security Adviser regarding the allegation. The absence of clarification, critics say, only heightens public anxiety and underscores the urgency of an open, verifiable explanation.
Whether the claim ultimately proves accurate or not, governance experts insist that the stakes are too high for dismissal or politicisation. The potential presence of a lethal toxic compound within national security channels, they argue, demands immediate, transparent investigation — not only for Nigeria’s internal accountability but also for the confidence of international partners monitoring chemical-safety compliance.
In the view of El-Rufai and his allies, the question is simple but profound: if a substance capable of silent mass poisoning can be imported under official cover, who watches the watchmen?
Abuja Network News
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