Nasir El-Rufai, a former governor of Kaduna State in north-west Nigeria, has written to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) seeking an explanation over claims that the agency plans to procure a toxic chemical substance.
In the letter dated Friday, January 30, 2026, and addressed to Nigeria’s National Security Adviser in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, El-Rufai said he wanted “clarification and reassurance” about reports circulating among opposition figures that the security office was considering the importation of thallium sulphate.
El-Rufai posted the letter on Sunday, February 15, 2026, on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. He said thallium salts are dangerous and tightly regulated, and argued that the public deserves clarity when such substances are involved.
He said the information available to opposition leaders suggested that ONSA intended to procure about 10 kilograms of thallium sulphate, reportedly from a supplier in Poland, a country in Europe. He asked the security office to confirm the intended purpose and end use of the chemical, identify the supplier, and state whether the import process followed the required approvals.
El-Rufai also requested details on the quantity and concentration of the substance, where it would be stored, and what oversight measures were in place. He asked about coordination with Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), and other public health and environmental authorities.
In addition, he asked whether any public health risk assessment or hazard mitigation plan had been prepared, given the toxicity of the compound. He maintained that the inquiry was made in good faith and said that transparency would strengthen public confidence in national institutions.
El-Rufai added that he sent copies of the correspondence to NAFDAC and the NCDC, saying both agencies play important roles in chemical safety and public health preparedness.
The letter comes at a time of heightened political argument in Nigeria around national security actions and oversight. The development also follows an incident in which El-Rufai said security operatives attempted to arrest him at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Thursday, February 12, 2026. He later claimed during an interview on Arise Television on Friday, February 13, 2026, that he learned of an alleged plan to arrest him through details linked to a leaked conversation involving the National Security Adviser’s phone.
As of Sunday, February 15, 2026, the National Security Adviser’s office had not publicly responded to the letter.