El-Rufai Links Ex-Kano Governor Ganduje to Activist Dadiyata’s 2019 Abduction

Former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai has accused former Kano State governor and ex-APC National Chairman Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of being responsible for the abduction of activist Abubakar Idris, widely known as Dadiyata, in 2019.

Speaking on Arise News Prime Time on Friday, El-Rufai clarified that Kaduna State authorities were not involved in the disappearance and only learned of it after Dadiyata’s family reported the case to the police.

Dadiyata was taken from his Kaduna home on August 2, 2019, by unidentified gunmen. The incident sparked public concern and prompted investigations by law enforcement, but his whereabouts remain unknown.

El-Rufai said the activist’s criticisms were focused on the Kano government. “He is a critic of the Kano government. It was Ganduje that was his problem; go and check his timeline. I don’t even know him,” El-Rufai said.

He also referenced an alleged confession by a police officer: “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.”

El-Rufai stressed that Kaduna State had no involvement in the case.

Human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, have repeatedly called for investigations. More than six years after the abduction, no official report has been released.