The Coalition Against Impunity (CAPI) has called for an independent international probe into the 2019 disappearance of social media activist Abubakar Idris, popularly known as Dadiyata, following what they describe as a “damning admission” by former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
The coalition, in a blistering press statement released Tuesday and made available to Securitynewsalert.com, demanded that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu establish a judicial panel of inquiry within 72 hours to investigate El-Rufai’s recent claims regarding police involvement in the abduction.
The controversy stems from a February 13, 2026, interview on Arise Television. During the broadcast, El-Rufai revealed that a police officer had allegedly confessed to him three years ago that he was part of a team “sent from Kano” to abduct Dadiyata. CAPI argues that El-Rufai’s failure to act on this confession at the time constitutes a grave obstruction of justice.
“Mr El-Rufai’s admission that a police officer confessed to abducting Dadiyata on orders from Kano State, and that this confession was received three years ago without triggering any investigation, constitutes prima facie evidence of systemic complicity,” the statement read.
Securitynewsalert.com heard that Dadiyata, a vocal critic of the government, was snatched from his residence in Barnawa, Kaduna State, on August 2, 2019. For 2,388 days, his whereabouts have remained unknown.
CAPI rejected El-Rufai’s attempt to distance himself from the case by claiming Dadiyata was a critic of the Kano State government under then-Governor Abdullahi Ganduje. The coalition noted that since Dadiyata was a resident of Kaduna at the time, he was under the constitutional protection of El-Rufai’s administration.
The coalition also pointed to a deleted 2019 tweet from the former governor’s son, Bashir El-Rufai, which suggested that “lies in the public space have consequences.” CAPI claims this reflects a pattern of intimidation where the disappearance was framed as a “justified consequence” for political criticism.
The coalition stated that the Nigerian Police Force lacks the credibility to investigate its own members and has laid out several non-negotiable demands for the federal government.
| Target | Action Required |
| President Tinubu | Establish an independent panel with international oversight within 72 hours. |
| Inspector General | Formally summon Nasir El-Rufai to identify the confessing officer. |
| Police Force | Identify and arrest the “confessing officer” within 7 days. |
| Attorney General | Investigate El-Rufai for potential obstruction of justice and the Ganduje administration for its alleged role. |
| Intl. Community | CAPI is petitioning the UN and the International Criminal Court (ICC) to intervene. |
The statement characterised Dadiyata’s case as “state-sponsored terrorism against civil society,” linking it to a broader culture of impunity seen during the #EndSARS protests. Sanyaolu Juwon, CAPI Coordinator, stated that the choice before the government is to uphold the rule of law or preside over its complete collapse, adding that silence in this matter is equivalent to complicity.
The coalition, which includes groups such as the Take It Back Movement, Lawyers Without Borders Nigeria, and the Civil Liberties Organisation, vowed to continue the #WhereIsDadiyata campaign until those responsible are prosecuted.
