The Federal High Court in Kaduna has ordered former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and five others to pay N900 million in damages over the unlawful arrest and detention of Adara community elders in 2019.
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Justice Hauwa’u Buhari delivered the judgment on Tuesday in favour of Awemi Dio Maisamari and eight other Southern Kaduna elders, who were detained following the killing of their traditional ruler, Dr. Raphael Maiwada Galadima.
The court dismissed objections raised by the respondents challenging its jurisdiction, ruling that the case involved violations of fundamental human rights.
El-Rufai, sued in his personal capacity, was found liable for directing the arrests during a town hall meeting held shortly after the ruler’s murder.
The elders, including a former commissioner and a retired police officer, were labelled security threats and detained for months before being released on the advice of the attorney general, who found no legal grounds for their continued incarceration.
The arrests were made in the wake of the abduction and murder of Dr. Galadima, who was kidnapped by unidentified gunmen while returning to his palace after visiting Kasuwan Magani, a community affected by crisis. His police orderly and three palace guards were killed during the abduction, while his wife was later released. Days later, the monarch’s mutilated body was found dumped by the roadside.
