Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna State, has asked the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to explain how 10 kg of Thallium Sulphate—a colourless, tasteless, highly toxic powder—was allegedly imported from Poland.
In a 30 January 2026 letter delivered to NSA Nuhu Ribadu on 11 February, El-Rufai said he was acting “as a concerned citizen” and wanted details “to ensure public safety and democratic transparency.”
Thallium Sulphate once sold as rat poison, is banned or tightly controlled in most countries; as little as 8–12 mg/kg can kill. The salt tricks the body into treating it like potassium, wrecking the nervous system and often causing fatal hair-loss, pain and organ failure.
El-Rufai’s six-point query asks:
– What the chemical is for
– Who supplied it and whether import permits exist
– Exact quantity, form and strength
– Where and how it is being stored and guarded
– Which agencies—NAFDAC, NCDC and others—were told
– What risk-assessment or safety plans have been drawn up
“This inquiry is made in good faith,” he wrote, adding that open handling of such matters “strengthens public confidence in national institutions.”
He requested a written reply or a contact person for follow-up. Copies went to NAFDAC, NCDC and the national chairmen of the ADC and PDP.
The request lands amid fresh friction: El-Rufai claims Ribadu recently ordered his arrest at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and says the NSA’s phone was tapped. The NSA’s office has not yet responded to the poison-import questions.
