WATCH THE VIDEO HERE A Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna has awarded ₦900 million in damages against former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and five others for the illegal detention of nine elders from the Adara community in 2019. Justice Hauwa’u Buhari ruled in favor of the plaintiffs—led by Awemi Dio Maisamari—who were arrested and held without charge over the murder of their traditional ruler, Raphael Maiwada Galadima. The court found El-Rufai personally liable for ordering the arrest and prolonged detention of the elders, which included a former state commissioner and a retired police officer. The elders had been picked up during a town hall meeting organized by the then-governor following the monarch’s abduction and killing. Justice Buhari dismissed the preliminary objections raised by the defense, which claimed that the court lacked jurisdiction and argued the case was a civil tort rather than a human rights matter. Reacting to the verdict, the plaintiffs’ lead counsel, Gloria Ballason, hailed the judgment as a significant milestone in holding public officials accountable for abuses of power. “This ruling is a landmark decision against executive lawlessness. It sends a clear message that human rights violations will not go unpunished, even after a public official leaves office,” she said. The elders were eventually released after several months in detention, following a legal review by the Kaduna State Attorney General, who found no grounds to justify their continued incarceration.
Court orders El-Rufai to pay ₦900m over unlawful detention of Adara elders
