Dadiyata disappearance resurfaces as Khadija Lame pleads for her husband’s return amid fresh claims by El-Rufai and Ganduje
Khadija Ahmad Lame, wife of missing activist Abubakar Idris, popularly known as Dadiyata, has renewed calls for her husband’s return more than six years after his disappearance, as fresh political claims deepen tensions around the case.
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Khadija Ahmad Lame made the appeal during a visit to her Kaduna residence by Reno Omokri, former special assistant on new media to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, urging those allegedly responsible to return her husband dead or alive.
The Dadiyata disappearance dates back to August 2, 2019, when Abubakar Idris, a lecturer at the Federal University Dutsin-Ma in Katsina State, was reportedly intercepted by armed men while driving into his compound in Barnawa, Kaduna State.
Human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, have classified the case as an enforced disappearance.
The Department of State Services has previously stated that it has no knowledge of his whereabouts.
Speaking on Thursday, Khadija Ahmad Lame said the family still holds hope despite years of uncertainty.
“We pray one day, he will come back, if he is alive or not,” Khadija Ahmad Lame said.
Khadija Ahmad Lame stated that she witnessed the abduction through a window while inside the house, describing the moment as traumatic.
The renewed attention follows recent remarks by former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, who alleged that Dadiyata was abducted by police officers dispatched from Kano State.
Nasir El-Rufai claimed that Abubakar Idris was not a critic of his administration but rather a vocal opponent of former Kano State governor Abdullahi Ganduje.
Abdullahi Ganduje has rejected the allegation, describing the claim as baseless and politically motivated.
The conflicting narratives have reignited debate over accountability and transparency in the Dadiyata disappearance, which remains unresolved nearly seven years later.
Supporters and civil society groups have continued to demand a thorough investigation.
Under Nigerian law, Abubakar Idris could be declared legally dead by August 2026 if he is not found.
The prolonged uncertainty has taken a heavy toll on the family. Dadiyata’s mother died in Kaduna while he was still missing, adding a sombre layer to the unresolved case.
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For Khadija Ahmad Lame and her children, however, hope remains alive as they continue to press for answers in one of Nigeria’s most troubling unresolved cases.
