The enforced disappearance of Abubakar Idris, better known as Dadiyata, a prominent government critic and university lecturer, has cast a long shadow of grief and uncertainty over his family for six agonizing years. Abducted from his Kaduna residence on August 2, 2019, shortly after returning from work, Dadiyata’s case has become a symbol of the vulnerability of dissenting voices in Nigeria and the government’s alleged complicity in silencing them. The family, joined by Amnesty International, continues to demand answers and justice, decrying the deafening silence from authorities that has compounded their suffering. The incident has left an indelible mark on the family, emotionally and financially, transforming their lives into an unending nightmare.
The night of the abduction remains etched in the family’s memory. Unidentified men forcibly took Dadiyata away, leaving his vehicle behind. Since then, there has been no trace of him, no ransom demands, and no credible information about his whereabouts. The family describes him as a peaceful, intellectual individual who used his words to advocate for reform and challenge injustice, not a criminal or a terrorist. His wife, Khadija Lame, is left to raise their children alone, facing their relentless questions about their father’s absence with a heart heavy with grief and unanswered questions. Dadiyata’s elderly father’s health has deteriorated significantly under the weight of this prolonged ordeal, while his mother and uncle passed away without ever knowing his fate, their hopes of his return extinguished.
The family’s pleas for help have gone unanswered. Despite repeated appeals to the highest levels of authority, including the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of the Department of State Services, and the Attorney General of the Federation, they have received no substantive response. Their questions remain hanging in the air: Where is Abubakar Idris Dadiyata? Is he alive? Can he yet be brought home? The silence from the authorities, according to Amnesty International, amounts to negligence and a fundamental breach of their responsibility to protect citizens. Even if the government denies involvement in his disappearance, its failure to investigate and provide answers is a damning indictment of its commitment to justice and the rule of law.
Amnesty International has strongly condemned the government’s inaction, characterizing it as “deafening silence and shameful inaction.” They argue that the nature of Dadiyata’s abduction bears the hallmarks of enforced disappearance, a tactic often employed by authoritarian regimes to suppress dissent and silence critical voices. The organization has accused security agencies, particularly the police and the DSS, of offering only “weak and weightless promises” and treating the case with a concerning lack of seriousness. They contend that Dadiyata’s case is not an isolated incident but represents a dangerous trend of increasing attacks on civil liberties in Nigeria, including online harassment, arbitrary arrests, and intimidation of journalists and activists.
Dadiyata’s disappearance has not only devastated his family but also deprived Nigeria of one of its brightest minds, a voice for the voiceless who believed in the power of words to effect positive change. His brother, Usman Idris, described him as a beacon of hope for the North, someone who championed the power of the pen over violence. He believed that through dialogue and constructive criticism, Nigeria could be transformed into a better nation. His abduction, therefore, represents a loss not only for his family but for the entire nation, a silencing of a voice that dared to speak truth to power.
Amnesty International has called on President Bola Tinubu to initiate a full, independent investigation into Dadiyata’s disappearance, emphasizing that the previous administration failed to do so. They have pledged to continue advocating for Dadiyata and others who have suffered similar fates, urging that justice delayed must not become justice denied. They maintain that someone must be held accountable for this egregious violation of human rights, and that Dadiyata’s disappearance should serve as a wake-up call to address the shrinking space for freedom of expression in Nigeria. The organization warns that allowing such acts to go unpunished sends a chilling message: “speak, and you vanish.” This, they argue, must not be allowed to stand.
