Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, has accused the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, under Nuhu Ribadu of procuring thallium sulphate, a highly toxic chemical compound, and has demanded urgent clarification over the alleged transaction.
El-Rufai made the allegation on Sunday in a post on X, where he shared a copy of a letter addressed to the Office of the National Security Adviser in Abuja.
“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. It’s a matter of concern if anyone brings in any poison, more so an odourless, colourless one,” El-Rufai wrote on X.
In the letter, he said information available to opposition political leaders indicated that the ONSA had reportedly procured approximately 10 kilograms of thallium sulphate from a supplier in Poland.
Describing thallium salts as highly toxic and tightly controlled substances, El-Rufai said public safety, democratic accountability and trust in national institutions required immediate clarification.
He requested details on the intended purpose and end-use of the chemical, the identity of the supplier, and whether the importation was carried out under an existing chemical or defence permit.
El-Rufai also sought clarification on the total quantity and specific form or concentration procured, as well as storage and security arrangements upon arrival.
The former governor further asked about regulatory oversight and coordination with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, including whether public-health risk assessments or hazard-mitigation plans had been developed.
“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,” parts of the letter read.