The Department of State Services (DSS) has reopened investigations into the 2019 abduction and disappearance of Katsina-based lecturer and government critic Abubakar Idris (popularly known as Dadiyata), with former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and his sons now under active probe, reliable sources have confirmed.
Operatives of the DSS seized El-Rufai’s international passport upon his arrival at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to prevent him from leaving the country while the investigation progresses.
According to a senior DSS official who spoke on condition of anonymity, the passport seizure was a deliberate move to stop the former governor from travelling to Egypt after fulfilling scheduled appearances before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) next week.
“El-Rufai is fully aware that the DSS is investigating him for Dadiyata’s kidnap. So he planned to visit the EFCC on Monday, and then the ICPC on Tuesday. Thereafter, he would fly back to Cairo. Seizing his passport has shattered his plans. His sons were also probed then. The fresh investigations will be very broad.”
Background on Dadiyata’s Disappearance Abubakar Idris “Dadiyata”, a lecturer in the Department of English and Linguistics at the Federal University Dutsinma, Katsina State, was abducted from his Kaduna home on August 1, 2019, by yet-to-be-identified gunmen. He has remained missing since then.
Dadiyata was known for his sharp online criticisms of the El-Rufai administration in Kaduna State, though he was also associated with the Kwankwasiyya political movement in Kano.
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During an interview on Arise Television last week, El-Rufai said he was “privy to a confession” allegedly made by a remorseful policeman who claimed he was part of a team sent from Kano to abduct Dadiyata. He however denied any knowledge of the missing lecturer, stating: “If anybody is to be asked about the disappearance of Dadiyata, it is the Kano State government; it has nothing to do with the Kaduna State government. We didn’t even know he existed.”
The DSS official explained that the case was reopened after months of intense investigations and new leads, describing the fresh probe as “very broad” and encompassing multiple angles.
El-Rufai’s legal team has described the passport seizure and reopened case as “politically motivated harassment” and “executive overreach.” No official statement has been issued by the DSS or the Presidency as of press time. The development has intensified political tension in Abuja, with many viewing it as part of a broader clampdown on vocal critics of the Tinubu administration ahead of 2027.
This is a developing story. DDNewsOnline is monitoring for official confirmation and further details.
By Ogungbayi Beedee Adeyemi
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