Yemi Obafemi
Survivors and families of victims of alleged human rights abuses during Nasir el-Rufai’s eight-year tenure as Kaduna State governor have called for full accountability, warning against impunity and historical revisionism.
In a statement released on Monday, the Kaduna Victims’ Coalition, which represents affected citizens from diverse backgrounds, demanded independent investigations and prosecutions for abductions, unlawful killings, forced sackings, and other violations that occurred between 2015 and 2023.
The coalition, comprising community leaders, public servants, traditional rulers, faith leaders, academics, journalists, and legal professionals, described the period as one of “profound hardship, terror, fear, and loss.”
The statement read in part: “We speak today as representatives of countless individuals, families, and communities who endured eight years of profound hardship, terror, fear, and loss under the governorship of Nasir el-Rufai in Kaduna State (2015–2023).
“Our coalition includes citizens from all walks of life: community and business leaders, serving and retired public servants, traditional rulers, faith leaders, academics, journalists, lawyers, and other professionals.”
Among the high-profile cases highlighted was the abduction and murder of HRH Dr. Maiwada Raphael Galadima, the Agwam Adara, in October 2018.
“HRH Dr. Maiwada Raphael Galadima, the Agwam Adara (paramount ruler of the Adara Chiefdom), abducted in October 2018 and brutally murdered despite ransom payment. His killing occurred amid efforts to restructure traditional institutions, including the controversial conversion of the chiefdom into an emirate structure, deepening ethnic and communal tensions. Till date the suspects arrested for the murder of Agwam Adara are yet to be successfully prosecuted and their whereabouts can not be ascertained.
“Abubakar Idris (Dadiyata), a lecturer at the Federal University Dutsenma and social media commentator critical of governance issues, abducted from his residence in Barnawa, Kaduna, on August 2, 2019. He has remained missing, effectively disappeared for nearly seven years. August 2026 will mark the seventh anniversary of his abduction and trigger the statutory presumption of death under Nigerian law.
“Shortly after Dadiyata’s abduction, on December 23, 2019, at 10:16 hrs, Bashir el-Rufai, son of the then-Governor, posted a tweet widely perceived as gloating over the incident and dismissing calls for his safe return.
“During his tenure, Nasir el-Rufai presided over a pattern of indiscriminate actions: arbitrary abductions, persecution of critics, reprisal violence, unlawful demolitions of homes, mass dismissals of workers without due process, forced sackings by employers of perceived opponents, and the displacement of citizens into exile.
“These acts bypassed constitutional safeguards and Nigerian law, turning gubernatorial immunity into unchecked impunity,” the statement revealed.
The coalition accused el-Rufai’s administration of a pattern of arbitrary abductions, persecution of critics, reprisal violence, unlawful demolitions, mass dismissals of workers without due process, forced sackings, and citizen displacement, asserting that these acts bypassed constitutional safeguards.
“We are deeply troubled by recent attempts to reframe this history, portraying Nasir el-Rufai as a champion of due process and human rights, while survivors and families continue to seek truth and justice”, the statement said.
The Kaduna Victims’ Coalition emphasized that its “sole demand is accountability under the rule of law: thorough, independent investigations; prosecutions where evidence warrants; and closure for traumatized victims and families.”
The group said it is ready to cooperate fully with law enforcement, judicial bodies, and human rights institutions, offering testimonies, evidence, and any material assistance necessary to ensure that those responsible face justice.
“We stand ready to cooperate fully with all relevant law enforcement agencies, judicial bodies, and human rights institutions in Nigeria. We will provide testimonies, evidence, and any material assistance to support inquiries and ensure those responsible for crimes face due process.”
