By: Gabriel Osa
Bashir El-Rufai, son of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, has publicly accused his elder brother, Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, of abusing cocaine and alcohol in an extraordinary family dispute that spilled onto social media on Saturday.
Bashir made the allegations in a series of posts on X on August 29, 2026, directing a barrage of insults at Mohammed Bello, who represents Kaduna North Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives. The dispute comes as the lawmaker remains politically active ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, having moved from the All Progressives Congress to the African Democratic Congress earlier this year and subsequently secured the ADC ticket to seek re-election. The immediate cause of the brothers’ confrontation, however, was not initially clear from the posts.
Bashir accused his brother of using cocaine and alcohol, making the allegations in highly personal language. He referred to what he described as an unidentified white substance around Mohammed Bello’s nostrils and questioned why an elected federal lawmaker would allegedly engage in substance abuse.
In one of the posts, Bashir described Mohammed Bello as a “useless excuse for a brother” and alleged that his face was regularly coated with an unknown white substance around his nostrils. He then linked the accusation to his brother’s political position, saying the lawmaker represented an entire constituency in the National Assembly but allegedly preferred alcohol and cocaine.
The allegations have not been independently verified. There was no evidence cited in the reports establishing that Mohammed Bello uses cocaine or abuses alcohol, and no official finding or law-enforcement statement was reported to substantiate Bashir’s claims. The accusations should therefore be treated as allegations made by Bashir rather than established facts.
The confrontation escalated after people responding to Bashir’s posts urged him not to make a private family disagreement public. One follower, identified by the X handle @cryptogeekng, suggested that if the person Bashir was attacking was his biological brother, the dispute should be resolved privately rather than through social media.
Bashir rejected the criticism and doubled down on his allegations. Responding to the commenter, he said his brother was “the one on colos” and alleged that he lived on a “diet of cocaine and whiskey.” The exchange subsequently attracted wider attention as screenshots and reports of the posts circulated online.
The posts were later deleted, according to Naija News, which reported that Bashir attributed their removal to an instruction from his mother. The deletion did not prevent the allegations from spreading, as copies of the statements had already been circulated and several Nigerian news organisations subsequently reported the dispute.
Mohammed Bello had not, at the time of reporting, publicly responded to the allegations. There was also no indication that he had acknowledged the accusations or announced any legal action concerning the statements.
Mohammed Bello is the first son of Nasir El-Rufai and currently serves in the 10th National Assembly. He was elected in 2023 to represent Kaduna North Federal Constituency and has served as chairman of the House Committee on Banking Regulations. His political career has developed under the public attention surrounding his father, a former governor of Kaduna State who governed the state from 2015 to 2023.
In May 2026, Mohammed Bello announced his resignation from the APC and his move to the ADC. He said the decision had been taken after careful consideration and that he intended to seek another term representing Kaduna North under the opposition party. His defection formed part of a broader political realignment as Nigerian parties and politicians began positioning themselves for the 2027 elections.
Later that month, Mohammed Bello emerged as the ADC candidate for Kaduna North after winning the party’s primary election unopposed. Reports said he received 7,727 votes at the primary and was subsequently confirmed as the party’s candidate for the constituency.
The timing of the family dispute therefore places the controversy against an increasingly political backdrop, although there is currently no verified evidence establishing that Mohammed Bello’s political activities were the cause of Bashir’s accusations.
The El-Rufai family has been prominent in Nigerian public life for years. Nasir El-Rufai served as governor of Kaduna State for two terms and previously served as minister of the Federal Capital Territory. His children have also attracted considerable public attention through their political, professional and social activities.
Family disagreements involving prominent political figures can quickly become matters of public interest, particularly when allegations concern conduct that could potentially affect a public official’s reputation. In this case, however, the available evidence establishes only that Bashir made the allegations publicly. It does not establish the truth of the allegations themselves.
The reference to “colos” appears to be Nigerian slang associated with being intoxicated or under the influence of drugs, although the precise meaning can vary depending on context. Bashir used the expression while specifically repeating his allegation that Mohammed Bello was using cocaine and whiskey.
The exchange has also raised questions about the extent to which private family disagreements should be exposed through social media. While public figures are subject to legitimate scrutiny, accusations concerning illegal drug use carry potentially serious reputational and legal implications and require evidence before they can responsibly be reported as fact.
There is currently no reported police investigation, court proceeding or official disciplinary process against Mohammed Bello arising from Bashir’s allegations. No law-enforcement agency has publicly confirmed the accusations, and there is no reported medical or toxicological evidence supporting them.
The absence of such evidence is significant because cocaine possession and use are prohibited under Nigerian law, while allegations of substance abuse against a serving lawmaker could have consequences beyond the family dispute if substantiated through a lawful investigation.
For now, the controversy remains a public quarrel between two members of the El-Rufai family. Bashir has made serious allegations against his elder brother, while Mohammed Bello has not publicly responded in the reporting available. The reason for the confrontation also remains unclear.
The incident nevertheless demonstrates how quickly a private dispute can become a national political story when it involves members of a prominent family. Bashir’s statements have already generated widespread discussion, but the central allegations remain unproven.
Any further development will depend on whether Mohammed Bello responds, whether Bashir provides evidence for his claims, or whether an appropriate authority becomes involved. Until then, the accusations should remain clearly distinguished from verified facts.
For Mohammed Bello, the episode comes at a sensitive moment as he prepares for another election campaign under the ADC. For Bashir, the public confrontation has placed a deeply personal dispute in the national spotlight. And for the wider El-Rufai family, the episode adds another layer to the intense public scrutiny surrounding one of Nigeria’s most recognisable political households.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments