Ribadu refutes Thallium purchase claims, tells El-Rufai to present evidence

A fresh controversy has emerged between the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over allegations involving the alleged procurement of thallium sulphate, a highly toxic chemical compound.

Sources familiar with the matter said ONSA has directed El-Rufai to submit any evidence in his possession to the Department of State Services (DSS) to enable a thorough investigation into the claims.

In a letter dated January 30, 2026 and addressed to the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, El-Rufai reportedly claimed that approximately 10 kilograms of thallium sulphate had been sourced from a supplier in Poland.

Thallium sulphate is a colourless, odourless and extremely toxic substance capable of causing death in very small quantities, raising public concern over the gravity of the allegation.

However, in a formal response dated February 13, 2026, and signed by Brigadier-General OM Adesuyi on behalf of the NSA, ONSA categorically denied procuring or initiating any process to purchase the substance.

The letter stated that while the office had no involvement in such procurement and had no intention of doing so, the allegation had been formally referred to the DSS for detailed investigation.

It added that El-Rufai and any other individuals with relevant information would be invited to provide evidence to assist the security service in establishing the facts.

Sources further revealed that an earlier attempt to deliver the response letter to El-Rufai’s Abuja residence was unsuccessful after security operatives reportedly declined to receive it, citing the absence of the head of security and uncertainty over the former governor’s schedule.

The document was eventually delivered on Sunday, with the head of security signing on El-Rufai’s behalf.

The controversy deepened on Friday when El-Rufai, speaking during a Prime Time programme on Arise Television, alleged that he had listened to an intercepted telephone conversation involving Ribadu.

According to him, “someone tapped” the NSA’s phone, and he purportedly heard directives being issued to security operatives to arrest him, a claim that has yet to receive an official response from ONSA.

The exchange marks another flashpoint in the unfolding political tensions between key actors within the nation’s power circle, with security and political implications likely to reverberate in the coming days.

As investigations proceed, public attention remains fixed on the DSS probe and whether concrete evidence will substantiate or dismiss the explosive claim.