Presidency rejects El-Rufai toxic chemical claim, denies any plan by NSA office to procure thallium sulphate and urges former governor to release reply
The Presidency on Sunday forcefully rejected an El-Rufai toxic chemical claim made by former Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, denying any plan by the Office of the National Security Adviser to procure thallium sulphate from Poland.
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Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, in a letter dated 30 January 2026 and addressed to the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, sought what he described as clarification and reassurance over reports that the Office of the National Security Adviser intended to obtain approximately 10 kilogrammes of thallium sulphate from a foreign supplier. The former governor posted a copy of the correspondence on his official X account on Sunday.
In a swift response, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, stated that there was no government procurement or importation of thallium sulphate into Nigeria through the National Security Adviser’s office.
Temitope Ajayi said Mallam El-Rufai had “certainly” received a reply from the National Security Adviser’s office and challenged the former governor to release that response publicly, just as he had published his own letter.
The presidential aide accused Mallam El-Rufai of attempting to create political tension and spread deliberate misinformation.
Temitope Ajayi further alleged that the former governor was seeking to divert attention from corruption allegations in Kaduna State, where the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission have reportedly invited him for questioning.
“The truth is that there was no such procurement,” Temitope Ajayi wrote, adding that the issue was not President Bola Ahmed Tinubu or Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
The El-Rufai Toxic Chemical Claim centres on thallium sulphate, a highly toxic compound whose use is tightly regulated in many jurisdictions.
In his letter, Mallam El-Rufai requested details on the intended purpose, supplier identity, regulatory authorisation, storage arrangements and public health safeguards linked to the alleged procurement.
Copies of the correspondence were also sent to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
Mallam El-Rufai maintained that the inquiry was made in good faith and aimed at strengthening public trust through transparency.
The former governor argued that openness on sensitive matters would reinforce confidence in national institutions.
The development comes amid mounting legal and political pressures on Mallam El-Rufai.
The former governor is expected to honour an invitation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday, according to his counsel, Ubong Esop Akpan.
Mallam El-Rufai has also disclosed that he received an invitation from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and confirmed that he would appear before the agency later this week.
Tensions escalated further after Mallam El-Rufai alleged in a television interview that security operatives attempted to arrest him at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja upon his return from Cairo, Egypt.
Mallam El-Rufai claimed that he had prior knowledge of the alleged plan.
Meanwhile, a coalition of concerned Nigerians in Kaduna described the allegation against the Office of the National Security Adviser as reckless and capable of triggering public panic.
The coalition’s spokesperson, Victor Bobai, said claims of such magnitude must be supported by verifiable evidence and handled through appropriate institutional channels.
As of the time of filing this report, the Office of the National Security Adviser had not issued a separate public statement beyond the Presidency’s response.
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The controversy has added a combustible dimension to an already charged political climate, as debates over accountability, security oversight and governance intensify ahead of the next electoral cycle.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
