COURT ASKS EL RUFAI TO PAY 900MILLION DAMAGES TO ADARA COMMUNITY LEADERS IN KADUNA FOR DETAINING THEM ILLEGALLY FOR MONTHS

A Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna has awarded N900 million in damages against the former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, and five others, over the violation of fundamental human rights and unlawful imprisonment of Southern Kaduna Adara elders in 2019.

Delivering judgment on Tuesday, Justice Hauwa’u Buhari found El-Rufai personally liable for orchestrating the arbitrary arrest and detention of Mr. Awemi Dio Maisamari, then President of the Adara Development Association, along with eight other elders.

 

The Court dismissed preliminary objections by the Respondents, who argued that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction, that the filing exceeded the legal time frame, and that the matter was a tort and not a fundamental rights issue. Justice Buhari ruled that the objections lacked merit and proceeded to judgment.

 

The judgment awarded: N900 million in compensation against Mallam Nasir El-Rufai for orchestrating the arrest.

 

The court also awarded N10 million in general damages and N10 million in special damages against the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector General of Police, and the Commissioner of Police, Kaduna State (3rd to 5th Respondents).

 

Gloria Mabeiam Ballason Esq, counsel for the Applicants, hailed the ruling as a landmark victory for human rights and accountability. She emphasised that immunity while in office does not protect leaders from accountability after leaving office.

She explained that this case was filed after El-Rufai left office, hence he was sued in his personal capacity. According to her, executive lawlessness must never be tolerated, even by those once protected by immunity.

The Adara elders were detained following a town hall meeting convened by then-Governor El-Rufai in 2019, after the abduction and murder of Dr. Raphael Maiwada Galadima, the Agom Adara, who had just returned from a meeting with the governor.

 

During the meeting, El-Rufai allegedly ordered the arrest of Mr. Maisamari, accusing him of being “part of the security problem” in Kajuru.

Those detained included notable Adara leaders such as Engr. Bawa Magaji (former Commissioner) and a former Commissioner of Police. They were held for months before being released after the Attorney General of Kaduna State found no evidence to support their continued detention.

Respondents in the case included the Governor of Kaduna State, the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector General of Police, the Commissioner of Police, and the Attorney General of Kaduna State. Legal representation included J.A. Danazumi Esq, Koni Tauna Esq, and Sirajo Mohammed Esq.