BY JULIET EKWENUGO
Kaduna
The Northern Citizens’ Group has taken a swipe at former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, over his recent claim that he tapped the phone conversations of the National Security Adviser (NSA), describing the statement as alarming and potentially dangerous to national security.
The group, in a statement issued on Sunday by its president, Yusuf Kanhu, said the allegation, if true, amounts to a grave breach of national security, and if false, represents a reckless comment capable of eroding public trust in the country’s security architecture.
Kanhu called on relevant security agencies to immediately investigate the claim and compel the former governor to provide full disclosure on the circumstances surrounding the alleged action and those who may have been involved.
According to him, monitoring the communication of a serving National Security Adviser without due process would constitute a serious offence bordering on sabotage and abuse of power.
“If he indeed monitored the conversations of a serving National Security Adviser, then this is a grave matter. But if he did not, he must explain why he would make such a weighty claim capable of undermining confidence in our national security institutions”.
The group further accused El-Rufai of attempting to distort the security realities of Kaduna State during his administration from 2015 to 2023, insisting that the state witnessed some of its worst episodes of insecurity within that period.
It said banditry, kidnappings and communal clashes claimed numerous lives across several communities, leaving families devastated and thousands displaced.
“Communities were deserted, families buried their loved ones repeatedly, and entire villages were uprooted. The people lived in fear and uncertainty”.
The Northern Citizens’ Group also alleged that residents of Southern Kaduna and other affected areas bore the brunt of the violence, adding that many citizens felt abandoned at the height of the crisis.
It maintained that certain public statements credited to the former governor during that period heightened tensions and deepened ethno-religious divisions rather than calming frayed nerves.
The group expressed surprise that El-Rufai, who had at one point acknowledged negotiating with bandits in a bid to stem killings, would now seek to position himself as a moral authority on governance and security matters.
It further questioned whether the alleged phone tapping, if it occurred, could have compromised sensitive security operations, stressing that such claims should not be treated lightly by authorities.
The group also linked the former governor’s recent remarks to what it described as political resentment following his perceived sidelining in the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
While urging political leaders to exercise caution in public statements, especially on matters touching on national security and interfaith relations, the group insisted that Nigerians deserve clarity and accountability on issues capable of affecting the nation’s stability.
