Reno Omokri suggests that Nasir el-Rufai’s abrupt decision to cancel his overseas study plans is rooted in his fear of arrest and prosecution by the Trump administration, rather than his stated reason of avoiding a perceived threat from President Tinubu. Omokri recalls alleged el-Rufai’s controversial admission of paying killer herdsmen, which likely displeased the pro-religious freedom Trump administration.
Tensions escalated on Thursday, February 7, 2019 when el-Rufai threatened European Union observers with violence if they interfered in Nigeria’s upcoming presidential elections, aggravating fears about his potential travel to the U.S. after Trump stated he would pursue leaders harming Christians. Following Trump’s establishment of a task force to address this issue, el-Rufai suddenly claimed that he needed to cancel his study plans due to fears of arrest by Tinubu.
Omokri also points out that during a 2017 event in Washington DC, Congressman Christopher Smith labeled el-Rufai as among those who contributed to making Nigeria exceptionally dangerous for Christians. This fear of returning to the U.S. has lingered since Trump’s initial term, during which el-Rufai refrained from visiting America. The Senate’s rejection of his ministerial nomination, citing his inflammatory statements, reflects ongoing concerns about his past actions during his time as governor of Kaduna, which resulted in significant violence.
Ultimately, Omokri asserts that el-Rufai’s history of violence against Christians and other groups has caught up with him, as he faces the consequences of his actions.
