A Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna has delivered a scathing verdict against former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, ordering him and five others to pay a staggering ₦900 million in compensation for the illegal arrest and prolonged detention of elders from the Southern Kaduna Adara community in 2019.
Presiding over the matter, Justice Hauwa’u Buhari held El-Rufai personally responsible for masterminding the arbitrary incarceration of Mr. Awemi Dio Maisamari, then President of the Adara Development Association, along with eight other community elders, without lawful justification.
In a ruling that has been hailed as a landmark for human rights enforcement in Nigeria, Justice Buhari dismissed all preliminary objections filed by the Respondents, who had argued—unsuccessfully—that the case was outside the court’s jurisdiction, time-barred, and concerned tort law rather than fundamental rights.
“The objections lacked merit,” Justice Buhari ruled firmly, as she delivered a judgment that not only awarded ₦900 million in damages against El-Rufai but also held other security institutions accountable.
Additionally, the court imposed ₦10 million in general damages and ₦10 million in special damages on the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector General of Police, and the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police for their complicity in the unlawful detention.
Legal counsel for the Applicants, Gloria Mabeiam Ballason Esq, described the verdict as “a resounding victory for the oppressed and a warning shot to those who abuse power.” She emphasized that executive immunity ends with public office, and those who violate constitutional rights must face justice, no matter how high their previous status.
“This suit was filed after El-Rufai left office, stripping him of any protective cloak of immunity. His actions were reckless, unlawful, and a gross violation of the Nigerian Constitution,” Ballason stated.
The incident traces back to 2019, when Dr. Raphael Maiwada Galadima, the revered Agom Adara, was abducted and later assassinated shortly after a meeting with then-Governor El-Rufai. In the wake of the tragedy, El-Rufai convened a controversial town hall meeting, during which he allegedly ordered the arrest of Mr. Maisamari, accusing him of being “part of the security problem in Kajuru.”
Those swept up in the crackdown included Engr. Bawa Magaji, a former state Commissioner, and a retired Commissioner of Police, among others. The Adara elders were detained for several months without charge, until the Kaduna State Attorney General found no evidence to warrant their continued imprisonment, leading to their eventual release.
Respondents in the suit included:
The Governor of Kaduna State
The Nigeria Police Force
The Inspector General of Police
The Commissioner of Police, Kaduna State
The Attorney General of Kaduna State
They were represented in court by legal counsels J.A. Danazumi Esq, Koni Tauna Esq, and Sirajo Mohammed Esq.
This judgment marks a turning point in Nigeria’s human rights jurisprudence, reinforcing that no public official—past or present—is above the law. It also serves as a catalyst for justice in a region where community leaders have long cried out against marginalization and government overreach.
PIONEER NEWS 