In a significant ruling, a Federal High Court in Kaduna has instructed former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, to pay N900 million in damages for infringing the fundamental human rights of Adara elders who were unlawfully detained in 2019.
Justice Hauwa’u Buhari announced the judgement on Tuesday following a suit initiated by Awemi Dio Maisamari and eight other elders from the Southern Kaduna Adara community. The court concluded that El-Rufai had directly facilitated their arbitrary arrests, thus holding him accountable for the substantial compensation awarded.
Furthermore, the court imposed an additional N10 million in general damages and N10 million in special damages against the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector General of Police, and the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police.
Counsel for the plaintiffs, Gloria Mabeiam Ballason, celebrated the ruling as a pivotal moment in the fight against the abuse of power. “This judgement signifies a crucial shift towards accountability for misconduct, irrespective of any temporary immunity enjoyed by those in authority,” Ballason remarked. “Even where immunity exists, it cannot excuse executive lawlessness.”
The legal action, initiated after El-Rufai’s tenure, identified him as the first respondent in his individual capacity. The plaintiffs had been arrested in connection with the murder of Dr. Raphael Maiwada Galadima, the paramount ruler of the Adara people. At that time, it was reported that El-Rufai had ordered the arrests, branding the plaintiffs as security threats in Kajuru.
Among those detained were a former commissioner, Bawa Magaji, and a former police commissioner. They were subsequently released after the Attorney General determined there was no evidence against them. When contacted, respondents’ counsel, J.A. Danazumi, who is also the Solicitor General, chose not to comment.
