Our Reporter, Abuja
A coalition of survivors and families of alleged victims in Kaduna State on Monday called for a comprehensive investigation into what it described as widespread abuses during the administration of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai between 2015 and 2023.
In a statement issued in Abuja and Kaduna, the group, operating under the banner “Kaduna Victims’ Coalition,” said it represents individuals, families and communities who endured “hardship, terror, fear and loss” during the eight-year tenure.
The coalition said its membership cuts across community and business leaders, serving and retired public servants, traditional rulers, faith leaders, academics, journalists and lawyers.
Citing what it termed emblematic cases, the group referenced the abduction and killing of HRH Dr. Maiwada Raphael Galadima, the Agom Adara, in October 2018. The monarch was kidnapped and later killed despite the payment of ransom. His death occurred amid controversies surrounding the restructuring of traditional institutions in the state, including the conversion of the Adara Chiefdom into an emirate structure.
According to the coalition, suspects arrested in connection with the monarch’s murder have yet to be successfully prosecuted, and their current status remains unclear.
The group also highlighted the case of Abubakar Idris, popularly known as Dadiyata, a lecturer at the Federal University Dutsenma and social media commentator. Idris was abducted from his Barnawa residence in Kaduna on August 2, 2019, and has not been seen since.
The coalition noted that August 2026 would mark seven years since his disappearance, a period that, under Nigerian law, could trigger a statutory presumption of death.
It further referenced a December 23, 2019 social media post by Bashir El-Rufai, son of the former governor, which it said was widely perceived as dismissive of calls for Idris’ safe return.
Beyond the high-profile cases, the coalition alleged a broader pattern of arbitrary arrests, persecution of critics, reprisal violence, unlawful demolitions, mass dismissals of workers without due process and forced displacement of perceived opponents during the period under review.
It expressed concern over what it described as attempts to recast the former governor’s record as one anchored on due process and human rights, insisting that survivors and families were still seeking truth and justice.
“Our sole demand is accountability under the rule of law,” the statement read, calling for thorough and independent investigations, prosecutions where evidence warrants, and closure for affected families.
The coalition pledged to cooperate with law enforcement agencies, judicial bodies and human rights institutions in Nigeria by providing testimonies and relevant evidence to support inquiries.
The statement was signed by several individuals and organisations, including Chidi Odinkalu; Audu Maikori; Ballason Gloria Mabeiam; Steven Kefas; Luka Binniyat; Midat Joseph; Segun Onibiyo; HOJustice International; Community Development & Rights Advocacy Foundation; Resilient Aid & Dialogue Initiative; and the Southern Kaduna Indigenously Progressive Forum (SKIPFo).
