Former Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje has strongly rejected allegations by his former Kaduna counterpart, Nasir El-Rufai, linking him to the disappearance of social media activist Abubakar Idris, popularly known as Dadiyata.
In a statement issued through his former Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Comrade Muhammad Garba, Ganduje described El-Rufai’s claim as “reckless, unfounded and a clear attempt to shift responsibility for an incident that occurred entirely within Kaduna State.”
El-Rufai, during a Friday interview, alleged that Dadiyata was abducted from his Kaduna residence by police officers dispatched from Kano State when Ganduje was governor. He claimed a policeman later confessed to being sent from Kano to carry out the abduction.
Ganduje’s statement countered that Dadiyata lived and operated primarily in Kaduna, where he was known for directing criticisms at the Kaduna State Government. Garba emphasised that there is no credible record showing Dadiyata’s primary focus was on Ganduje or the Kano government.
“Everyone in Kaduna knew the nature of the criticism he made and who it was directed at,” the statement said, adding that security responsibility at the time rested with Kaduna State authorities and federal agencies operating there.
Garba described the allegation as an effort to politicise a painful, unresolved case, stressing that serious claims require verifiable evidence rather than political rhetoric.
He highlighted that Ganduje’s two-term administration in Kano was marked by tolerance for criticism, open media engagement, and acceptance of opposition voices, with no record of arrests, intimidation, or harassment of journalists or critics.
The statement noted that public discourse around Dadiyata’s disappearance has long centred on events in Kaduna, with figures like former Senator Shehu Sani and commentator Reno Omokri previously raising questions about how the matter was handled in that state.
Garba questioned why El-Rufai, who claimed limited knowledge of Dadiyata, would make detailed assertions about responsibility without pursuing formal disclosure or investigation through security channels at the time.
While expressing sympathy for Dadiyata’s family, Garba stressed that the priority should be uncovering the truth through lawful, transparent processes rather than political blame-shifting.
“The family deserves closure. What they do not deserve is for this tragic matter to become an instrument of political blame-shifting,” he said.
He urged anyone with credible information on the abduction to present it to appropriate authorities, emphasising that accountability must be based on facts and due process, not speculation.
Dadiyata, a 34-year-old lecturer at Federal University Dutsin-Ma, was intercepted by unidentified armed men on August 2, 2019, as he drove into his compound in Barnawa, Kaduna. His whereabouts have remained unknown for over six years, with no group claiming responsibility.
The case has been classified as an enforced disappearance by Amnesty International and other rights groups. In 2020, a Federal High Court in Kaduna ordered security agencies to produce him or release him, but they denied custody.
El-Rufai has consistently denied any involvement by his administration, insisting the activist was not a critic of Kaduna State but rather of Kano political actors.
