A Federal High Court in Kaduna has awarded ₦900 million in damages against former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and five others for the unlawful detention of Adara community elders in 2019.
Justice Hauwa’u Buhari ruled in favour of Awemi Dio Maisamari and eight other elders who were detained following the murder of their traditional ruler, Raphael Maiwada Galadima. El-Rufai, sued in his personal capacity, was found responsible for ordering their arrest and detention.
The court dismissed preliminary objections from the defendants, who had argued that the case was a tort matter outside the court’s jurisdiction and not a fundamental rights violation.
Lead counsel for the plaintiffs, Gloria Ballason, hailed the ruling as a landmark judgment.
“This is a watershed moment in the fight against executive lawlessness and human rights violations,” she said. “It affirms that public office holders can be held accountable even after leaving office.”
The elders—among them a former commissioner and a retired police officer—were arrested during a town hall meeting convened by El-Rufai after the traditional ruler’s abduction and killing. They were held for months before being released on the advice of the Kaduna State Attorney General, who found no legal grounds for their continued detention.
