Ribadu denies importing dangerous chemicals, refers El-Rufai’s allegation to SSS

The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) on Sunday denied procuring thallium sulphate, a highly toxic, colourless and odourless compound capable of killing humans in small doses.

The denial was issued in response to a letter from Nasir El-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna State, to the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, dated 30 January 2026.

In the letter, Mr El-Rufai said information available to the political opposition leadership suggested that the NSA had procured approximately 10 kilogrammes of thallium sulphate from a supplier in Poland.

In a reply by OM Adesuyi, a brigadier general, signing on behalf of Mr Ribadu, the ONSA acknowledged receipt of Mr El-Rufai’s correspondence and denied the allegation.

“ONSA has neither procured nor initiated any process for the purchase of such material, and has no intention of doing so,” the statement signed by Mr Adesuyi, stated in the letter, first published by TheCable.

The letter added that the matter had been referred to the State Security Service (SSS) for a comprehensive investigation, and that Mr El-Rufai and other parties in possession of relevant information would be invited by the service to provide evidence.

“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 read.

El-Rufai’s Letter

In his original letter to Mr Ribadu, Mr El-Rufai described the alleged procurement as a matter of grave public concern, noting that thallium salts are “highly toxic and tightly controlled substances.”

“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,” he wrote.

The former governor raised six specific questions, asking Mr Ribadu to clarify the intended purpose and end-use of the substance; the identity of the supplier and whether the material was imported under an existing chemical or defence permit; the total quantity and specific form or concentration procured; the storage and security arrangements upon arrival; the regulatory oversight in place with NAFDAC, the NCDC and other public-health and environmental agencies; and whether any public-health risk assessments or hazard-mitigation plans had 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,” Mr El-Rufai wrote. “Public confidence in the integrity of national institutions is strengthened when potential risks are openly addressed and managed.”

The former governor said he was also copying the letter to NAFDAC and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), both of which, he noted, play essential roles in chemical safety and public-health preparedness.

The Ribadu–El-Rufai feud

The latest exchange marks an escalation in the frosty relationship between Messrs Ribadu and El-Rufai — two men who were once close friends and political allies.

Both rose to national prominence under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Mr Ribadu served as the pioneering head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). At the same time, Mr El-Rufai was initially director-general of the Bureau of Public Enterprises before becoming minister of the Federal Capital Territory. At the time, both were regarded as key reformist figures driving the government’s anti-corruption and modernisation agenda.

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Their friendship began to unravel in 2011, when the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) nominated Mr Ribadu as its presidential candidate.

Mr El-Rufai opposed the candidacy, instead backing Muhammadu Buhari of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in that election.

In recent months, their public feud has intensified.

Last week, Mr El-Rufai appeared on Arise Television, where he accused his former ally of weaponising anti-graft institutions, particularly the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to hound him following corruption allegations against his administration in Kaduna State.

When Mr El Rufai made similar claims last year, Mr Ribadu dismissed the allegations, insisting that anti-corruption agencies operate independently and that he had no role in the former governor’s accountability troubles.

The thallium sulphate allegation now represents the sharpest point of public confrontation between the two men.