Kaduna, Nigeria – The mystery surrounding the 2019 disappearance of Abubakar Idris, a popular social media commentator known as Dadiyata, has resurfaced following a public disagreement between former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and Senator Shehu Sani. The case involves the abduction of the university lecturer from his residence in Kaduna, an incident that Amnesty International has labeled an enforced disappearance.
Okay News reports that during an interview with ARISE News on February 13, 2026, El-Rufai denied any involvement in the incident, claiming he was unaware of Dadiyata’s existence until after the abduction. El-Rufai argued that Dadiyata was primarily a critic of the Kano State government under then-Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, rather than the Kaduna administration. He further alleged that a police officer’s confession suggested the abductors were sent from Kano, not Kaduna.
However, Senator Shehu Sani has countered these claims, asserting that Dadiyata was a well-known and outspoken critic of the Kaduna State Government. Sani noted that the lecturer lived in the Barnawa neighborhood of Kaduna with his family and argued that the state government’s failure to issue an official statement or visit the family at the time was a sign of the fear surrounding the case.
The disagreement highlights the ongoing lack of resolution in a case that has spanned nearly seven years without a formal breakthrough. While El-Rufai maintains that the responsibility for the investigation lies with authorities in Kano, rights groups continue to demand a transparent and comprehensive inquiry into the circumstances of the abduction within Kaduna’s jurisdiction.
