Kaduna\u2019s uneasy political past returned sharply to the foreground on Thursday as hundreds of young people and civil society activists marched through key parts of the state capital, demanding accountability for what they described as years of repression under former governor Nasir El-Rufai. Their demands were blunt – a full investigation into alleged financial impropriety during his administration and renewed action over the unresolved disappearance of outspoken social media critic Abubakar Idris, widely known as Dadiyata.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Carrying placards bearing inscriptions such as \u201cJustice for Dadiyata\u201d, \u201cNo one is above the law\u201d and \u201cKaduna deserves answers\u201d, protesters converged near government institutions and public squares, accusing Nigeria\u2019s political and law-enforcement authorities of allowing impunity to thrive long after the former governor left office. Organisers said the demonstration was deliberately coordinated to coincide with growing public frustration over unresolved human rights cases in the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For many participants, the disappearance of Idris remains the most haunting symbol of that period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dadiyata, a lecturer and social media activist known for his sharp criticism of political elites, vanished on the night of August 2, 2019, after armed men reportedly abducted him from his residence in Barnawa, Kaduna. Witnesses said the assailants arrived in a vehicle and forced him away without explanation. Since then, there has been no confirmed sighting of him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite repeated assurances from security agencies, investigations have yielded no publicly disclosed breakthrough. His family, colleagues and supporters have sustained a years-long campaign demanding answers, arguing that the silence surrounding the case has deepened suspicion rather than eased it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Human rights organisations have consistently described the disappearance as one of Nigeria\u2019s most troubling unresolved cases involving a government critic. Amnesty advocates and domestic civil liberties groups have repeatedly urged authorities to either produce credible investigative findings or reopen the probe under independent supervision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thursday\u2019s protest revived those demands with renewed urgency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speakers accused the El-Rufai administration of fostering what they described as a climate hostile to dissent, alleging that opposition politicians, journalists and activists were frequently subjected to arrests, prolonged detentions or intimidation. Several protesters referenced past crackdowns on demonstrations and the detention of political opponents during the former governor\u2019s tenure, arguing that such actions contributed to a broader erosion of democratic space in Kaduna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
El-Rufai, who governed Kaduna State between 2015 and 2023, has consistently defended his record as one driven by security imperatives and administrative reform. Supporters credit him with ambitious infrastructure development and attempts at restructuring the state\u2019s finances, while critics argue that those achievements came alongside an increasingly combative relationship with labour unions, religious groups and political opponents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The protest also widened its focus to allegations of financial misconduct linked to government borrowing and expenditure decisions during the period. Activists called for anti-corruption agencies to conduct forensic audits of major contracts and debt accumulation under the former administration, insisting that accountability should not end with electoral transitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whether such demands will translate into legal consequences remains uncertain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nigeria\u2019s political history offers few precedents of former governors facing sustained prosecution without strong federal backing. While anti-graft agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have occasionally pursued ex-state executives, investigations often stall amid political negotiations, shifting alliances or evidentiary challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Legal analysts note that reopening the Dadiyata case could prove equally complex. Without fresh intelligence or testimony, investigators may struggle to overcome years of lost leads. Yet rights advocates argue that political will \u2014 rather than investigative difficulty \u2014 has been the central obstacle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe passage of time should not erase responsibility,\u201d one protest organiser said. \u201cIf institutions function properly, justice has no expiry date.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Kaduna\u2019s younger generation, many of whom were university students when Idris disappeared, the case has come to symbolise the vulnerability of dissent in Nigeria\u2019s democracy. Social media campaigns marking each anniversary of his disappearance continue to trend periodically, reflecting unresolved public anxiety about the fate of critics who challenge powerful figures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The former governor has not publicly responded to the latest protest demands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For now, the demonstrations represent less a legal turning point than a moral one – a reminder that political transitions do not automatically close difficult chapters. Whether Nigeria\u2019s institutions are willing, or able, to revisit them may determine not only the fate of one missing activist, but also the credibility of accountability in a democracy still struggling with the shadows of power.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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