El-Rufai Denies Role In Dadiyata’s Disappearance, Says Critic Had Issues With Kano Government Under Ganduje

Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El‑Rufai, has dismissed allegations linking his administration to the 2019 disappearance of a social media commentator and lecturer, Abubakar Idris Usman, popularly known as Dadiyata, insisting that the missing critic was targeted over his opposition to then administration of former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje in Kano State.

Speaking during a special interview on ARISE News Friday evening, El-Rufai said the case had “nothing to do” with the Kaduna State government under him, arguing that Dadiyata’s criticisms were directed at political actors in Kano State rather than Kaduna State.

The interviewer referenced concerns raised by Amnesty International (AI), which has described the case as an enforced disappearance and suggested the government in power at the time bore responsibility for his protection.

Responding, El-Rufai said: “They are totally wrong. And what you have been given is not the right, is not the correct thing. Dadiyata’s timeline is still around. Go and study it. Dadiyata was not a fierce critic of Kaduna State government. He was a fierce critic of Kano State government. He’s from Kano. He’s a Kwankwasiyya guy. He lived in Kaduna and lectured at a university in Katsina State. He lived in Kaduna, but he’s a fierce critic, not of Kaduna State. Go and review his timeline. It was Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, that was his problem.”

He added that his administration only became aware of Dadiyata after his family reported him missing to police.

“We only got the report of Dadiyata’s existence after his family reported to the police that he was abducted as he was returning home in the evening.”

According to the former governor, investigations at the time suggested the abductors originated from Kano.

“And when we investigated, all that we could gather from his family was that the abductors came, took him, and they came from Kano. So, if anybody is to be asked questions about the disappearance of Dadiyata, it’s Kano State government. It has nothing to do with Kaduna State government,” he added.

He further claimed that years after the incident, a police officer allegedly admitted involvement.

“Three years after Dadiyata was abducted, a policeman that was posted out of Kano to Ekiti State confessed to someone that they were sent from Kano and they took the guy, they abducted Dadiyata, and he felt bad about it. That’s the only thing I know. But it was not a Kaduna State problem.”

El-Rufai also maintained that the government could not have provided specific protection to the victim because authorities were unaware of him before the incident.

“He lived in Kaduna state and it was our duty to protect him, but how could we protect him when we didn’t even know he existed or was a particular critic of Ganduje.”

Dadiyata was widely regarded as part of Nigeria’s digital political commentary class who shaped public opinion during and after the 2015- 2019 political cycle and known for satirical and sharp commentary against political elites and he was outspoken in northern Nigerian politics. A supporter of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso’s political movement (Kwankwasiyya), he gained both strong online following and powerful political enemies. He was reportedly abducted by unknown gunmen near his residence in Kaduna in August 2019 and has remained missing since then, with activists and civil society groups repeatedly demanding a thorough investigation and accountability.