Group faults El-Rufai Over NSA Phone Tapping Claim

From: Femi Oyelola in Kaduna

The Northern Citizens’ Group has described former Kaduna State governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai as “a blatant liar” over his recent claim that he tapped the phone conversations of the National Security Adviser, insisting that such a statement raises serious national security concerns.

The group’s president, Yusuf Kanhu, in a press statement issued to newsmen on Sunday, said El-Rufai’s claim was not only disturbing but also reckless. He urged security agencies to immediately investigate the allegation and compel the former governor to provide full details of those allegedly involved.

The group challenged security agencies to ensure that anyone found to have unlawfully interfered with official communications is held accountable in accordance with the law.

“If he actually monitored the conversations of a serving National Security Adviser, then this is a grave matter that borders on national sabotage. But if he did not, he must explain why he would make such an alarming claim that could undermine public confidence in our national security institutions,” the statement said.

Kanhu further accused El-Rufai of attempting to rewrite history regarding the security situation in Kaduna State during his tenure from 2015 to 2023. According to him, insecurity ravaged many communities across the state during that period, with banditry, kidnappings, and communal violence claiming numerous lives.

“Communities were abandoned. Families buried their loved ones almost every week as victims of bandit attacks. Entire villages were displaced. The people lived in deep pain and widespread fear,” the group said.

The group alleged that Kaduna people, particularly Christians in several parts of the state, bore the brunt of the violence, especially in Southern Kaduna. Many residents, it added, felt abandoned at the height of the crisis.

It maintained that public statements credited to the former governor at the time often inflamed tensions rather than doused them, thereby deepening ethno-religious suspicion across the state.

The Northern Citizens’ Group expressed surprise that El-Rufai, who once admitted publicly to negotiating with bandits to curb killings, would now present himself as a moral authority on governance and security.

“Anyone who claims to have tapped the phone of a security chief must be ready to explain his motives. Nigerians deserve full clarity,” the statement added.

The group questioned whether such alleged actions, if true, could have compromised security operations at the time, stressing that speculation of this nature should not be ignored by relevant authorities.

It also accused the former governor of being driven by political resentment following his perceived sidelining in the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“It is unfortunate that instead of reflecting and growing into a statesman, he continues to employ the same combative rhetoric that many believe fueled division and instability in Kaduna State,” the statement said.

The group urged political leaders across party lines to exercise restraint in public commentary, particularly on sensitive matters concerning national security and interfaith relations.