Ex-Governor El-Rufai Sanctioned for Abuse of Power in 2019 Detentions

A Federal High Court in Kaduna has ordered former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and five others to pay N900 million in damages for the unlawful arrest and detention of Adara community elders in 2019.

Justice Hauwa’u Buhari delivered the judgment in favour of the plaintiffs, led by Awemi Dio Maisamari, alongside eight other Adara elders. The group was detained without lawful justification following the murder of their traditional ruler, Agom Adara, Raphael Maiwada Galadima.

The court found that El-Rufai, sued in his personal capacity, had overstepped his authority by ordering the arrest and extended detention of the elders, an act deemed a violation of their fundamental human rights. Preliminary objections by the defence—claiming the case fell outside the court’s jurisdiction and was a matter of tort law—were dismissed by the judge.

The plaintiffs’ lead counsel, Gloria Ballason, lauded the ruling as a defining moment in the effort to curb executive excesses.

“This judgment is a watershed moment in the fight against executive lawlessness and human rights violations. It reaffirms that public office holders can be held accountable even after leaving office,” Ballason stated.

The Adara elders, which included a former commissioner and a retired police officer, were arrested during a town hall meeting convened by El-Rufai in the wake of the Agom Adara’s abduction and killing. They remained in detention for several months before the Kaduna State Attorney General advised their release, citing lack of legal grounds for continued incarceration.

The court’s decision is being hailed as a precedent-setting move against abuse of power and a reaffirmation of constitutional rights in Nigeria’s democratic framework.