Court orders El-Rufai to pay N900m for rights violation

A Federal High Court in Kaduna has ordered former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, and five others to pay N900 million in damages for the unlawful detention of Adara community elders in 2019.

Delivering the judgment on Tuesday, Justice Hauwa’u Buhari ruled in favor of a suit filed by Awemi Dio Maisamari and eight other Southern Kaduna elders, declaring that their arrest and detention violated their fundamental human rights.

The court held El-Rufai personally responsible for ordering the arbitrary arrest, making him liable for the full N900 million compensation.

Additionally, the court awarded N10 million in general damages and another N10 million in special damages against the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector General of Police, and the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police.

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Reacting to the ruling, the applicants’ counsel, Gloria Mabeiam Ballason, described the judgment as a landmark decision against executive overreach and impunity.

“This judgment is a watershed moment in holding public officials accountable,” Ballason said. “Immunity in office does not give anyone a license for lawlessness.”

The case was filed after El-Rufai left office and was sued in his personal capacity as the first respondent.

The elders were arrested in 2019 following the killing of Dr. Raphael Maiwada Galadima, the paramount ruler of the Adara people. At the time, El-Rufai had accused them of being threats to security in Kajuru and allegedly ordered their arrest. Among those detained were former commissioner Bawa Magaji and a former police commissioner.

They were later released after the Attorney General found no evidence to justify their continued detention.

When contacted, J.A. Danazumi, Solicitor General and counsel to the respondents, declined to comment on the ruling.