By Eshioromeh Sebastian
Former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has called on the Nigeria Police Force to place named individuals under close surveillance as the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, orders a comprehensive investigation into the disappearance of activist and lecturer Abubakar Idris, popularly known as Dadiyata.
Dadiyata was abducted from his residence in Barnawa, Kaduna State, on August 1, 2019, and his whereabouts have remained unknown for nearly seven years.
His disappearance has been consistently linked to his outspoken criticism of northern state governments on social media.
In a statement on Saturday, Kwankwaso said he was made aware of recent testimony by a former aide to a former state governor, in which police officers allegedly claimed responsibility for the abduction.
“Since his abduction in 2019, my associates and I have consistently prayed and advocated for the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and bring those responsible for his disappearance to justice.”
“It is therefore reassuring that the Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has ordered a comprehensive investigation into this matter. I commend the Inspector General for this decisive and long-overdue action”, Kwankeaso said.
Kwankwaso urged police authorities to prevent any interference with the process and called on the government to ensure adequate compensation for Dadiyata’s family if he is found alive, or for his relatives if otherwise.
He also commended the public for sustained advocacy and Barrister Abba Hikima Fagge for his pivotal role in the latest development.
“We remain hopeful that this investigation will finally deliver truth and justice,” Kwankwaso added.
Kwankwaso’s statement came after fresh developments emerged in the case:
Fresh Witness Claims Dadiyata Was Killed in His Presence
A major breakthrough came when Musa Muhammad Kamarawa, a former Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to ex-Zamfara State Governor Bello Matawalle (now Minister of State for Defence), came forward with explosive allegations.
Kamarawa alleged in a petition that two senior police officers, CSP Hussaini Gimba and CSP Hassan Gimba, threatened to kill him “as they killed Dadiyata and Saminu S/Fada Gusau amongst others in my presence at Operations Yaki Kaduna”.
He further claimed that the officers forced him to conceal his relationship with Matawalle during interrogations and coerced him into making statements under duress.
In direct response to petitions filed by Kano-based human rights lawyer, Barrister Abba A. Hikima, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the Police Monitoring Unit to investigate the allegations.
This directive was confirmed in an official letter dated May 8, 2026, from the Force Headquarters in Abuja. The IGP assured the petitioners of the Force’s commitment to justice and accountability.
Barrister Hikima, who has been at the forefront of advocacy for Dadiyata, formally petitioned the IGP demanding “an immediate, independent and transparent investigation”.
He argued that the allegations were too serious to be ignored, stating: “If the allegations against CSP Hussaini Gimba and CSP Hassan Gimba are false, a proper investigation will clear their names.
However, if there is any truth whatsoever in the allegations, then justice must be allowed to take its full course irrespective of rank, office or influence”.
Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore has called for an even broader investigation, demanding that the police invite and question key political figures including former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, former Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, former DSS Director-General Yusuf Bichi, and former Attorney-General Abubakar Malami, SAN.
Sowore expressed skepticism about the police’s ability to investigate impartially, calling instead for a Judicial Commission of Inquiry.
Political commentators and security journalists have described Kamarawa’s claims as a “golden opportunity” to finally get to the bottom of Dadiyata’s disappearance. Bakatsine, a counter-insurgency journalist, called on authorities to investigate the allegation transparently, describing it as “a weighty accusation involving enforced disappearance and alleged extrajudicial killings”.
Background
Abubakar Idris Dadiyata, a lecturer and outspoken social media commentator, was abducted by unidentified gunmen from his home in Barnawa, Kaduna, on August 1, 2019.
His disappearance was widely linked to his critical commentary on northern state governments, and he has not been seen or heard from since. The case has become one of Nigeria’s most high-profile unresolved disappearance cases, sparking sustained calls for justice from civil society organizations, activists, and human rights groups.
The police have yet to disclose the timeline for the investigation or whether the named officers will be questioned.
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