ABUJA, Nigeria—Nigerian security sources have accused Nuhu Ribadu, adviser to Bola Ahmed Tinubu, of involvement in the alleged detention of Maryam Bukar, a woman accused in online reports of having a romantic relationship with the president, amid claims she has been held for eight months without access to lawyers or family members, Feb. 19. The sources instead pointed to the Minister of State, Bello Matawalle, as allegedly ordering the detention.

How Amaechi Prevented Buhari From Approving Electronic Transmission Of Results – Wike

An online Sahara Reporters website on Feb. 19 alleged that Ribadu, Nigeria’s national security adviser, ordered Bukar’s arrest over a purported intimate video call with Tinubu.

However, security sources familiar with the Daily Nigerian news outlet reported that Ribadu had no knowledge of the arrest.

“I can tell you authoritatively that the NSA has no knowledge of her arrest. Some government officials are name-dropping Ribadu in order to oppress people and cover their tracks,” one source said.

According to the sources, a screen recording of the alleged video call was made before Tinubu assumed office as president. They claimed Matawalle was displeased with Bukar for allegedly posting the video online and arranged her arrest through a special military squad.

The sources further alleged that the circumstances surrounding Bukar’s arrest mirror previous instances in which Matawalle was accused of ordering the detention of critics and political opponents from Zamfara State.

They also referenced the recent arrest of Saleem Abubakar, described as a technical aide to the Zamfara State governor, claiming initial suspicions had fallen on Ribadu before shifting to Matawalle.

When contacted, Matawalle’s media aide, Ahmad Ibrahim Dan-Wudil, denied the allegations.

“We’re not even aware of this, and we knew nothing about it,” Dan-Wudil told the platform.

The presidency and relevant security agencies have not publicly commented on the claims. No official court records or detention orders were immediately available to corroborate the allegations.