A coalition of alleged victims and civil society organisations on Monday called for an independent investigation into claims of human rights abuses during the tenure of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.
Operating under the banner Kaduna Victims’ Coalition, the group said it comprised survivors, families of victims, community leaders, professionals, traditional rulers, faith leaders, journalists, lawyers, and civil servants who claimed to have suffered or witnessed rights violations between 2015 and 2023.
In a statement made available to journalists, the coalition demanded “full accountability under the rule of law” and urged authorities to initiate transparent and impartial investigations into alleged abuses.
The statement was jointly signed by former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu; lawyers Audu Maikori and Gloria Ballason; journalist Luka Binniyat; activist Steven Kefas; and several civil society organisations, including House of Justice and Atrocities Watch Africa.
The coalition cited several cases, including the 2018 abduction and killing of the Agwam Adara, Maiwada Galadima, who was kidnapped in October 2018 and later killed despite the payment of ransom. It also referenced the disappearance of Abubakar Idris, popularly known as Dadiyata, a lecturer at the Federal University Dutsin-Ma, who was abducted from his Kaduna residence on August 2, 2019, and remains missing.
The group further alleged that El-Rufai’s administration was characterised by arbitrary arrests, persecution of critics, mass demolitions, dismissal of workers, and displacement of communities, though detailed documentation for each claim was not publicly disclosed.
According to the coalition, recent attempts to “reframe” the former governor’s record had ignored unresolved grievances and the lack of justice for affected families.
“It is not about political vendetta or media narratives. It is about families who lost loved ones, livelihoods destroyed, and communities displaced,” the statement said. “These wounds remain open because there has been no transparent process of accountability.”
The coalition stressed that independent investigations were necessary to restore public confidence in governance and democratic institutions.
“No democracy can thrive where allegations of abuse are swept aside,” the group said. “Where there is no wrongdoing, investigations will clear the record. But where evidence establishes violations, the law must take its course.”
It added that it would cooperate with law enforcement agencies and judicial institutions should formal probes be launched.
As of press time, El-Rufai had not publicly responded to the allegations.
