Former Kaduna State governor and a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nasir El-Rufai, has given insight into the and abduction and disappearance of a social media activist Abubakar Idris, popularly known as Dadiyata in2019.
El-Rufai pointedly said that former Kano State governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje is in a better position to account for the abduction and later disappearance of Dadiyata.
Speaking on Arise Television News Prime Time on Friday, February 13, 2026, El-Rufai vehemently denied any involvement of the Kaduna State Government under his watch, stressing that Dadiyata’s activism was majorly directed at the Kano State administration under Ganduje.
Dadiyata was abducted on August 2, 2019, from his residence in Kaduna by unidentified gunmen, a development that sparked outrage across the country, particularly among civil society organisations, human rights activists, and social media influencers who demanded immediate action from security agencies.
But, in spite of police investigations at the time, the whereabouts of Dadiyata still remained unknown more than six years after.
However, while seeking to clear the doubts over the disappearance of Dadiyata, El-Rufai insisted that his administration had no hands whatsoever in the activist’s disappearance, stressing that the Kaduna State Government only became aware of Dadiyata after his family reported his abduction and later disappearance to the police.
In the words of El-Ruafai; “We only got a report of Dadiyata’s existence after his family reported to the police that he was abducted.
“He (Dadiyata) was a critic of the Kano government. It was Ganduje that was his problem. Go and check his timeline; I don’t even know him. Dadiyata’s criticism was largely targeted at Ganduje and the Kano State Government.
The activist was known for his vocal attacks against Ganduje’s leadership and policies. Kaduna aState government under my administration neither had a motive nor any involvement in the abduction. That is the only thing I know. It was not a problem for Kaduna State,” he explained.
Throwing more light on the Dadiyata saga, El-Rufai claimed that a police officer allegedly confessed to being part of the team that abducted Dadiyata, adding that the said police officer, who was reportedly posted from Kano to Ekiti State, admitted that they were sent from Kano to carry out the operation.
El-Rufai further said; “Three days after Dadiyata’s abduction, a policeman posted from Kano to Ekiti confessed to someone that they were sent from Kano and abducted Dadiyata, and felt bad about it.”
The former governor of Kaduna State did not however provide details about the identity of the police officer or whether any formal complaint or investigation was carried out following the alleged confession.
The disclosure by El-Rufai raises fresh and consequential questions over the role of security personnel and possible State involvement in the Dadiyata’s disappearance.
Dadiyata, who was known for his outspoken criticism of government officials, particularly the Kano State government, built a strong following on social media, thus his sudden disappearance ignited protests and online campaigns under hashtags demanding his release and justice.
Human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, have repeatedly called on Nigerian authorities to conduct a transparent investigation and make the findings public. Amnesty International described the abduction as a serious violation of human rights and urged the government to ensure accountability.
El-Rufai’s latest revelations have opened up new vistas over the unresolved case and by directly naming Ganduje and alleging that policemen were dispatched from Kano to execute the abduction, the case is likely to take a new turn of events.
The former Governor of Kano State and ex-chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Ganduje ism yet to respond to El-Rufai’s claims.
For now, El-Rufai’s revelations have placed the spotlight squarely on Ganduje and security agencies in Kano State.
