El-Rufai Dadiyata allegations resurface as activist demands answers over the 2019 disappearance of blogger Abubakar Idris

Fresh allegations have been levelled against former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai over the 2019 disappearance of government critic Abubakar Idris, popularly known as Dadiyata.

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In a strongly worded statement circulated on Friday, a political activist accused El-Rufai of falsely claiming that Dadiyata was not his critic and renewed calls for accountability over the blogger’s unresolved abduction.

Dadiyata was reportedly taken from his residence in Kaduna before Salatul Jumu’ah prayers on Friday, 2 August 2019. He has not been seen since.

The latest remarks allege that Dadiyata was a vocal critic of El-Rufai’s administration and reference social media posts purportedly linked to members of the former governor’s family at the time of the incident.

The activist also questioned previous statements attributed to El-Rufai concerning foreign election observers and broader security matters.

El-Rufai has consistently denied any involvement in Dadiyata’s disappearance. Over the years, security agencies have conducted investigations, but no conclusive findings have been made public and the whereabouts of the blogger remain unknown.

The renewed accusations coincide with Valentine’s Day, with calls for answers directed at authorities on behalf of Dadiyata’s wife, Khadija Ahmad Lame, and their two daughters, who have lived with uncertainty since 2019.

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The case remains one of the most troubling unresolved disappearances in Nigeria’s recent political history, continuing to fuel debate about accountability, freedom of expression and the protection of critics in the country’s democratic space.