Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has distanced himself and the Kaduna State Government from the controversial abduction of social media activist, Abubakar Idris Dadiyata, insisting that the missing critic had issues with the Kano State Government, not Kaduna.
Speaking on Friday evening on Arise TV which was duly monitored by Truth Live News, El-Rufai maintained that he neither knew Dadiyata personally nor had any dealings with him prior to his reported abduction.
“He is a critic of the Kano government. It was Abdullahi Umar Ganduje that was his problem. I don’t even know him,” El-Rufai said.
The former governor explained that his awareness of Dadiyata’s existence only emerged after the activist’s family formally reported to the police that he had been abducted.
According to El-Rufai, three days after the reported abduction, a police officer allegedly posted from Kano to Ekiti confessed to an unnamed individual that he and others were sent from Kano to carry out the operation.
“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. That is the only thing I know,” he stated.
El-Rufai stressed that the matter was not an issue concerning Kaduna State, reiterating that the activist’s criticisms were directed at the Kano government and not his administration.
Dadiyata, a vocal online commentator known for his outspoken criticism of political leaders, was reportedly abducted in 2019, sparking widespread outrage and sustained calls for accountability from civil society groups and human rights advocates.
