Outrage greets El-Rufai’s body bags ‘threat’

Embattled governor says he was only ‘asserting dignity of nation’

By Tasie Theodore

A flurry of reactions have continued to follow the remarks made by Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai to the effect that ‘foreign troops’ who dare to interfere in the nation’s forthcoming polls risk returning in ‘body bags.’

“Those that are calling for anyone to come and intervene in Nigeria, we are waiting for the person that would come and intervene, they would go back in body bags,” the governor had said on live television.

While he has since gone on to explain that the remarks were only made within the context of ‘asserting the dignity of the nation,’ a swarm of critics on social media and elsewhere are not mollified.

Here are some samples from twitter:

Remi Sonaiya‏Verified account @oluremisonaiya6h6 hours ago

The threat by Gov. El-Rufai that foreign powers that interfere in our elections would go back in “body bags” is troubling & sickening. Are we in a jungle here? Are we murderers? We must stop “leaders” who think they have the right to say & do anything. @elrufai Represent us well!

Ada Campbell 👑‏ @Adacampbell9h9 hours ago

When u are part of a govt that doesn’t care about human rights, violence becomes second nature. El-Rufai’s statements are not surprising. These people are kicking against being held accountable because they have no intention of giving Nigerians free and fair elections. Madness

afrispheric‏ @afrispheric10h10 hours ago

Buhari has already lost the coming election. Buhari knows. El-Rufai knows. APC knows it. That’s why they’re all increasingly desperate, saying and doing things to intimidate elections observers, judiciary and those they deem enemies. But it is all futile efforts.

Nasir El-Rufai, Governor, Kaduna State