7000 Nigerians sign petition for EU, UK to bar Governor El-Rufai

No fewer than 7,000 Nigerians have signed a petition calling on the United Kingdom and the European Union to emplace visa restriction on Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State amidst reports that the United States had barred him from their country.

The petition, which was initiated by a former Presidential aide, Reno Omokri, on Tuesday, was addressed to the UK Parliament, the UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson; Council of the European Union, EU, and the European Parliament.

Omokri accused El-Rufai of being a threat to the peace and security of Nigeria for many reasons, recalling that the Governor, on December 3, 2016, admitted paying violent herdsmen who had been accused of killing several persons.

“Since that admission, there has been an intense escalation of the killings of mostly Christians in Kaduna, and on August 25, 2020, suspected herdsmen abducted seven schoolchildren and their teacher from Prince Academy, in Kaduna. They have not been seen or heard of since then,” he said.

Omokri, who was the new media aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan, asserted that El-Rufai on January 27, 2013, insulted Jesus Christ on Twitter

The petition further read, “On February 6, 2019, he threatened foreign observers, including observers from the EU and UK with death, warning that they would return in body bags should they intervene in Nigeria.

“On July 15, 2012, Nasir El-Rufai said, and I quote ‘We will write this for all to read. Anyone, soldier or not that kills the Fulani takes a loan repayable one day no matter how long it takes.’ This threat has been carried out in Southern Kaduna where there is an ongoing genocide of Christians under el-Rufai’s watch.”

The initiator of the petition also stated that on August 23, 2019, the Governor charged the Anglican Bishop of Zaria province of Kaduna, Abiodun Ogunyemi, for defamation.

“On April 24, 2019, another of his sons, Bashir El-Rufai, described the pogrom against Igbos as sweet.

“It is for this reason that Nigerian citizens call on the government of the United Kingdom and the European Union Presidency to follow the lead of the United States and place a visa ban on Nasir El-Rufai, who is scheming to become Nigeria’s President, to prevent a Rwandan style genocide in Nigeria,” Omokri said.