Amnesty International Urges Tinubu to Investigate Six-Year Disappearance of Dadiyata

Human rights organization Amnesty International has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take decisive action in the unresolved case of missing Kaduna lecturer and social critic, Abubakar Idris, widely known as Dadiyata.

Dadiyata was abducted on August 2, 2019, right at the gate of his home in Kaduna. Six years later, there has been no meaningful update or investigation result made public by the Nigerian government.

At a press briefing held in Kaduna, Isa Sanusi, Country Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, criticized what he called the government's "apparent indifference" toward the case.

“Apart from the weak and weightless assurance of the Police to investigate his disappearance, six years down the line, there has been no progress. Nothing whatsoever,” Sanusi stated.

He emphasized that Dadiyata's case isn’t just about one individual, it reflects a wider crackdown on free speech, in which government critics, activists, and dissenting voices are harassed, unlawfully detained, or hit with frivolous lawsuits.

Amnesty believes Dadiyata may have been targeted because of his outspoken criticism of the government and certain political figures on social media. The organization stressed that his abduction fits the pattern of enforced disappearances, a tactic often used to silence critics and instill fear.

“What happened to Dadiyata usually happens in societies where law and order are weak or under authoritarian rule,” said Sanusi. “Enforced disappearance is prohibited under international law and violates a wide range of human rights.”

Amnesty is calling on the Nigerian government to break its silence, investigate the case properly, and share its findingswith the public if for nothing else, to provide closure for the family and end the anxiety that has shadowed their lives for years.

On the night of August 2, 2019, Dadiyata returned home from work. According to reports, as he was closing his gate, armed men in masks abducted him and drove away in his car. He hasn't been seen or heard from since.

His family believes the abduction was not random and suspects it was politically motivated.