By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna The Northern Citizens’ Group has criticised former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, o...
By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
The Northern Citizens’ Group has criticised 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 unpatriotic and a matter of grave national concern.
In a press statement issued on Monday, the President of the group, Yusuf Kanhu, described the alleged remark as “disturbing and reckless,” urging security agencies to investigate the claim and compel the former governor to provide full details.
According to the group, if the claim is true, it raises serious national security implications. It added that if untrue, the statement could undermine public confidence in the country’s security architecture.
“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 read.
The group called on security agencies to ensure that anyone found to have unlawfully interfered with official communications is held accountable in accordance with the law.
Beyond the phone-tapping allegation, the Northern Citizens’ Group accused El-Rufai of attempting to rewrite the narrative surrounding the security situation in Kaduna State during his tenure between 2015 and 2023.
Kanhu said insecurity, including banditry, kidnappings and communal violence, claimed numerous lives during that period, leaving many communities devastated.
“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 stated.
The group further alleged that residents, particularly Christians in parts of Southern Kaduna, bore the brunt of the violence and felt abandoned at the height of the crisis.
It also claimed that some public statements attributed to the former governor during that period heightened tensions rather than eased them, thereby deepening ethno-religious divisions in the state.
The group expressed surprise that El-Rufai, who had previously acknowledged negotiating with bandits in a bid to curb killings, would now position 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.
It further questioned whether such alleged actions, if true, could have compromised security operations at the time, stressing that the matter should not be ignored by relevant authorities.
The group also accused the former governor of being motivated by political resentment following what it described as 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 Northern Citizens’ Group urged political leaders across party lines to exercise caution and restraint in public comments, particularly on sensitive issues relating to national security and interfaith relations.
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