JUST IN: Ribadu asks el-Rufai to submit evidence of toxic chemical claim to DSS

The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has asked Nasir el-Rufai to provide evidence supporting his allegation that the agency procured a toxic substance for investigation by the Department of State Services (DSS).

El-Rufai, a former governor of Kaduna, had written to Nuhu Ribadu, the national security adviser, alleging that about 10 kilograms of thallium sulphate was sourced from a supplier in Poland. Thallium sulphate is a highly toxic, colourless and odourless chemical that can be fatal in small quantities.

In a response dated February 13, 2026, ONSA denied procuring or initiating any process to purchase the substance. The letter, signed by Brigadier-General OM Adesuyi on behalf of the NSA, stated that the allegation had been referred to the DSS for a comprehensive investigation.

ONSA also said el-Rufai and any other individuals with relevant information would be invited by the DSS to provide evidence to assist the probe.

Sources said an earlier attempt to deliver the letter to el-Rufai’s Abuja residence was unsuccessful after security personnel on duty declined to receive it, citing the absence of the head of security. The document was later delivered on Sunday and acknowledged by the head of security on his behalf.

In his earlier correspondence dated January 30, 2026, el-Rufai said information about the alleged procurement was reportedly available to opposition political leaders.

Speaking on Prime Time, a programme on Arise Television, el-Rufai also claimed he had listened to an intercepted phone conversation in which Ribadu allegedly directed security operatives to arrest him.