Kaduna witnessed a wave of coordinated protests on Thursday, as hundreds of youths and civil society groups stormed the Government House and marched through major streets of the metropolis, demanding accountability over the disappearance of Abubakar Idris, popularly known as Dadiyata, and backing ongoing corruption probes into former governor Nasir el-Rufa’i.
The demonstrators, comprising youths and women, began their procession at the UTC roundabout before moving in an orderly march toward the Government House. Singing solidarity songs and wielding placards, they called for a public audit of el-Rufai’s eight-year administration and answers regarding Dadiyata’s whereabouts.
Placards carried bold inscriptions such as: “We demand public scrutiny, audit now’, ‘Malam Nasir El-Rufa’i, where is Dadiyata?‘ and ‘Publish loan agreement and spending breakdown now‘. Others reflected lingering fears over insecurity during the previous administration, reading: ‘Kaduna lived in fear, we want the truth’, and ‘Sponsoring protest cannot protect el-Rufa’i, he must still face prosecution’.
Recall that Dadiyata, a lecturer and outspoken social media commentator, was abducted from his home in 2019 by unknown gunmen. His whereabouts remain unknown, a development that continues to generate outrage within and beyond Kaduna State.
One of the protest organisers, Anas Yusuf, insisted the action was driven purely by the quest for accountability. “We are not here for politics; we are here for accountability”, he said, recalling years marked by attacks, kidnappings and widespread fear. Another organiser, Joseph Chori, described the disappearance as “an open wound”, adding: “A family still waits. Kaduna still asks: what happened?”
Beyond the unresolved abduction case, protesters demanded a comprehensive security review of the el-Rufa’i years and pressed for transparency over a $350 million World Bank loan secured during his tenure. They called on the state government to publish the loan agreement and provide a detailed breakdown of how the funds were utilised, arguing that public debt must be matched with public explanation.
In a parallel demonstration, hundreds under the banner of the ‘Nasiriya Movement’ marched across major roads in Kaduna metropolis in support of ongoing investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC).
The group demanded an open public trial for the former governor and any officials found culpable, alleging that over ₦432 billion was misappropriated during his administration.
Speaking on behalf of the movement, its National President, Garkuwa Ibrahim Babuga, urged anti-graft agencies to conduct a thorough and uncompromised investigation, insisting that any funds proven to have been embezzled must be fully recovered.
However, el-Rufa’i has consistently denied any involvement in Dadiyata’s disappearance. In a previous interview on the television programme, he maintained that the missing lecturer had been critical of another state government, not his administration.
