Former Kano Governor Abdullahi Ganduje Denies Involvement in Disappearance of Critic Dadiyata

 Former Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has strongly rejected claims linking him to the long-standing disappearance of social media activist and lecturer Abubakar Idris, widely known as Dadiyata. The denial came in response to recent allegations made by former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who suggested Ganduje's administration bore responsibility for the incident.

Dadiyata, a vocal online commentator and lecturer at the Federal University Dutsin-Ma in Katsina State, vanished on August 2, 2019, after being abducted by unidentified armed men near his residence in the Barnawa area of Kaduna. Masked assailants intercepted him as he drove home, and he has not been seen or heard from since. The case sparked widespread concern among civil society groups, human rights advocates, and the public, with calls for thorough investigations that have yet to yield concrete results on his whereabouts.

In an interview on Arise TV aired on Friday, February 13, 2026, El-Rufai dismissed any role by his own administration in the abduction. He claimed that Dadiyata's criticisms were primarily directed at Ganduje's government in Kano rather than Kaduna's, and referenced an alleged confession from a police officer transferred from Kano to Ekiti State. According to El-Rufai, the officer reportedly admitted years later that personnel from Kano had been dispatched to carry out the abduction, expressing regret over the action.

Ganduje's response came swiftly on Saturday, February 14, 2026, through a statement issued by his former Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Comrade Muhammad Garba. The former governor, who also served as National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), described the accusations as "reckless, unfounded, and a clear attempt to shift responsibility" for an event that took place entirely within Kaduna State.

The statement emphasized that Dadiyata resided and carried out his activities in Kaduna, where he was best known for critiquing the state government there. Garba pointed out that there was no substantial evidence showing Dadiyata's primary focus was on Kano or Ganduje personally, and that security oversight in Kaduna at the time fell under the Kaduna State administration and federal agencies operating in the area.

Ganduje's camp further questioned the credibility of El-Rufai's reference to the supposed police confession, asking why such information—if legitimate—had not been promptly shared with investigative authorities or pursued formally over the years. The response urged security agencies to scrutinize the claims thoroughly and called for an unbiased probe into the matter to establish the facts.

The exchange between the two former governors has reignited public interest in a case that has remained unresolved for over six years. Dadiyata's family and supporters continue to seek answers, while the incident highlights ongoing concerns about freedom of expression, accountability for abductions, and the handling of dissent in Nigeria's political landscape.

Observers note that the back-and-forth reflects lingering political tensions between key figures in northern Nigeria's APC circles, even as the core issue—Dadiyata's fate—remains unresolved. Calls for renewed investigations have grown louder, with some urging federal authorities to revisit evidence, including any potential leads from confessions or witness accounts.