One year after Dadiyata’s disappearance, Nigerians insist Kaduna govt. has questions to answer
Joy Anyim
Exactly one year after social critic, Abubakar Idris, alias Dadiyata, was abducted by unknown gunmen from his Barnawa home in Kaduna State, concerned Nigerians are still demanding that the state government unravel the mystery behind his sudden disappearance.
Recall that the Federal University Dutsinma, Katsina State lecturer, was accosted by the gunmen in early hours of August 2, 2019, and taken away in his BMW car.
Dadiyata before his sudden disappearance was known for criticising the Kano State Governor, Adbullahi Ganduje, Kadunna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai and President Muhammadu Buhari.
Some said his disappearance might have been politically motivated, and perpetrated by the Department of State Security Service (DSS) or the Nigerian Police Force, an allegation that has since been denied by both agencies.
According to the Executive Director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), Okechukwu Nwanguma, the Kaduna State government has an explanation to make in the matter.
Nwanguma said Governor el-Rufai had on several occasions demonstrated sufficient tendencies for intolerance for criticism.
“Many Nigerians, including me, suspect Mr. Idris was taken away in connection with his views, and the government would have something to do with his disappearance. I mean the Kaduna State government has an explanation to make. The governor of Kaduna State has exhibited sufficient tendency of intolerance for criticisms.
“He has a propensity for violence. He masterminded the mindless murder of hundreds of members of the Shiite and their mass burial, as confirmed by the commission of inquiry. He made the infamous ‘body bag’ threat to international election observers.
“He has superintended over the mass destruction of lives and property in southern Kaduna. Even if we decide to assume, for the purpose of argument, that the Government of Kaduna State is not involved in the abduction and disappearance, what steps – even in pronouncement, has government taken to show that it is concerned and interested in finding and rescuing him?” he asked.
Nwanguma insisted the Kaduna State governor should speak up, and if truly it does not have a hand in the abduction of the social critic, state what has been done to find the missing person.
He said, “He should demonstrate that the government is concerned about the welfare and security of citizens, which are the primary purposes of government. He should specifically, state efforts the government has made to find and rescue the missing citizen alive and safe.
“Otherwise, with the level of insecurity in Kaduna State, the president should invoke the appropriate laws for declaring a state of emergency in Kaduna State in order to restore law and public order in the state.”
Other concerned individuals took to various social media platforms to register their displeasure on the inability of the state government and security agencies to find a clue as to why Dadiyata disappeared.
The President, Interest Lawyers League (PILL), Abdul Mahmud, stated his effort four months after Dadiyata’s disappearance to determine his wherabout.
With the #WhereIsDadiyata, and on twitter handle@Abdulmahmud01, he chronicled his encounter with the State Security Service chief.
He wrote, “At the 19 Dec 2019 suspended Senate investigation of the invasion of court and assault of Sowore, I led the Defence Team. After the suspended hearing, I engaged the Director General of DSS, Permanent Secretary of Federal Ministry of Justice in a conversation outside the Senate Building.
“I asked DG Bichi two questions. (1) Why have you refused to release my client on bail granted by the court? He went on a tangent on how Falana refused to take his call. But, you’re the one refusing to take our calls, I countered. He went on and on, occasionally turning the exchange into a banter.
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“(2) Are you not worried that the image of the SSS as a repressive organisation? ‘How?’ He fired back. You have 187 Nigerians in your facility whose families don’t know their whereabouts. ‘We’ve released them since I resumed office. Ask Falana,’ he answered. We don’t have that record, Sir. Dadiyata hasn’t returned to his family, I answered.
“’Who’s that?’ He asked, as his aide hurriedly ushered him into his SUV. The activist who was snatched from his home in Kaduna, I screamed as the engine of his SUV kicked back to life. He peered at me and wound up his windscreen. Drove off. ”
A former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, also took to twitter to lament the sudden disappearance of the scholar, which he said speaks volumes about the deteriorating state of security in the country.
From his verified Twitter handle @KwankwasoRM, the one time senator said he would not relent in finding out the whereabouts of Dadiyata.
“Abubakar Idris’s aka @dadiyata forceful abduction is heartbreaking, as it has been a source of unimaginable pain to his family and friends, as no lead has been established till date as regards his whereabouts or the identity of his abductors,” Kwankwaso wrote.
“It is heart-wrecking that an active citizen, a bright university lecturer and social media influencer could go missing for 365 days without a trace…This unfortunate incident speaks volumes of the deteriorating security situation in Nigeria. On our part we have made frantic efforts to unravel his whereabouts through the security outfits but to no avail.
“However, we shall not relent until we get answers about his whereabouts. While doing that our thoughts and prayers will continue to be with @dadiyata’s family and friends as we continue to urge security agencies to do everything necessary and rescue him from his abductors.”
Senator Shehu Sani also lent his voice in the clamour to find Dadiyata one year after. In a tweet obtained from his verified twitter handle @Shehusani, he wrote: “It’s almost a year since Dadiyata was abducted from his home in Kaduna. The government is silent about it; the legislators who represent him at both the state and NASS are yet to raise a voice on the floor & the security agencies are feigning ignorance.”
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An aide to President Muhammad Buhari, BashirAhmaad, also shared his thought on the missing Dadiyata, In a brief tweet obtained from his twitter handle @BashirAhmaad, he said: “Today, I remember our friend, Abubakar Idris Dadiyata, I feel his family’s pain everyday, I hope and pray the government and security agencies’ efforts will bear fruit. Allah ya bayyana shi cikin Aminci.”
Another member of the twitter community, Servant of Allah @alouibrahim92, stated that before Dadiyata’s disappearance, a young man he identified as Shuraim Dalhatu Yahuza, had also mysterious disappeared.
According to him, “Before #Dadiyata, there was the disappearance of another young man called Shuraim Dalhatu Yahuza. It is inconceivable that young men could just disappear without a trace. May Allah, the Almighty, expose, humiliate and destroy everyone, who has a hand in their disappearance, Ameen.”
Checks by The Nigerian Xpress further revealed that the temporary restriction placed on Dadiyata’s Twitter account was yet to be lifted.
An attempt by the correspondent to visit the twitter account of Dadiyata was greeted with a caution which read: “Caution: This account is temporarily restricted. You’re seeing this warning because there has been some unusual activity from this account. Do you still want to view it?”
The correspondent obliged and was taken to the account where the last tweet by the scholar was on August 1, 2019.
Lamenting the said restriction, Ikhide on the handle @Ikhiade, wrote: “Interesting. @Dadiyata, a critic of @elrufai disappeared in Kaduna about a year ago. Where is @dadiyata? The government has been silent about his fate. And now, his Twitter account has been suspended. @jack, let it not be said that @twitter is complicit in state-sanctioned crime.”
Asked if the police had gotten a lead on Dadiyata’s disappearance, the Kaduna State Police spokesperson, Mohammed. Jalige, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), said he was yet to get an update on the investigation.
Jalige said, “I am new in this office but as I am talking to you, I have been trying to trace and sit with the officer investigating the case, because when the incident happened, I was not here or even in the command. But I was fully aware of the incident because it was all over then.
“Someone drew my attention to it recently. So, I am trying to see the officer to know how far they have gone because they said the case was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department. (SCID). So, I will get back to you.”
The Spokesperson for DSS, Peter Afunanya, was also called to ascertain if the agency had gotten any clue on the whereabouts of Dadiyata. However, he simply said: “He is not with us.”
