Oluwatosin Enesi
A Federal High Court in Kaduna has ordered former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and five others to pay ₦900 million in damages over the unlawful detention of nine Adara community elders in 2019.
Justice Hauwa’u Buhari delivered the ruling in favor of Awemi Dio Maisamari and eight others who were arrested and held for months following the murder of their traditional ruler, Raphael Maiwada Galadima, in Kajuru Local Government Area.
El-Rufai, sued in his personal capacity, was found liable for ordering the arrests. The court also dismissed objections from the defendants, who argued that the case fell outside the court’s jurisdiction and involved tort rather than human rights violations.
Reacting to the judgment, the plaintiffs’ lead counsel, Gloria Ballason, called it a “landmark victory” against executive impunity.
“This judgment is a watershed moment in the fight against executive lawlessness and human rights violations,” Ballason said. “It reaffirms that public office holders can be held accountable even after leaving office.”
The elders, among them a retired police officer and a former commissioner, were arrested during a 2019 town hall meeting convened by El-Rufai, shortly after the traditional ruler’s abduction and killing. Their prolonged detention was later declared unjustified by the Kaduna State Attorney General, leading to their release.
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