Coalition demands probe, arrest of ex-gov over alleged Ribadu’s phone hack

FORMER Kaduna State Governor, Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai, has asked the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), headed by Nuhu Ribadu, to immediately clarify reports that the office imported a highly poisonous substance, thallium sulphate, from Poland.
 el-Rufai raised the issue yesterday in a post on X, disclosing that he had written formally to the National Security Adviser (NSA) seeking explanations over the alleged transaction.
 He said the information available to opposition political leaders suggested that the ONSA recently brought in about 10 kilogrammes of thallium sulphate from a foreign supplier.
 
“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,” el-Rufai said, adding that the substance was “odourless and colourless”, making its presence even more worrying.
 In the letter, the former governor described thallium compounds as extremely hazardous and subject to strict international controls, arguing that the alleged importation raised serious questions around public safety and transparency.
 He asked the security office to state the purpose for which the chemical was procured, the intended end-user, the company that supplied it, and whether the importation was authorised under any valid chemical or defence permit.
 el-Rufai further requested details on the exact quantity and concentration reportedly acquired, as well as how the substance would be stored and secured.
 
He also sought to know whether relevant regulatory and public-health authorities, including the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), were involved in assessing potential risks or developing safety and mitigation plans.
 According to him, “public confidence in national institutions” requires that the matter be addressed promptly and transparently.
 However, the Office of the National Security Adviser has not issued any official response as of press time.
MEANWHILE, the Coalition of Northern Nigeria Youth Groups, under the aegis of the Northern Youth Frontiers (NYF), yesterday, called on the Federal Government to investigate and arrest former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over alleged comments concerning a breach of the National Security Adviser’s communication line.
 The group expressed concern over what it described as an alarming admission by El-Rufai that he was privy to information obtained from a hacked phone belonging to the National Security Adviser (NSA).
 
A statement issued by its Chairman, Sama Musa, emphasised that the matter extends beyond politics and affects the integrity of Nigeria’s intelligence architecture.
 According to the NYF, such claims raise serious national security concerns.
 Musa said: “By claiming that an individual hacked the NSA’s phone and relayed the contents of private discussions to him, el-Rufai has confessed to being a direct beneficiary and potentially a coordinator of a sophisticated cyber-espionage operation.
 “This is not merely a political dispute; it is a grave issue of national security. If the communication of the nation’s top security coordinator can be compromised and the intercepted data shared with unauthorised individuals, the entire intelligence infrastructure of Nigeria is at risk.”
 
The group demanded that security agencies thoroughly investigate the allegation, identify any collaborators or technical accomplices involved, and ensure that anyone found culpable is brought to justice in accordance with the law, including provisions of the Cybercrimes Act.
 The group urged the Federal Government to treat the issue as a serious breach of national security and to act swiftly to safeguard the country’s institutions. El-Rufai accuses NSA of procuring ‘dangerous chemicals.’