Elders of Southern Kaduna have filed a lawsuit against the immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Nigeria, Nasir El-Rufai, for allegedly violating their fundamental human rights. The suit, which seeks N2.3 billion in damages, was brought before a Federal High Court in Kaduna on Tuesday.
The claimants, led by Aweni Dio Maisamari, the former Chairman of the Adara Development Association (ADA), allege that they were unlawfully detained and imprisoned by the El-Rufai-led administration in 2019 without any justification. The elders are demanding compensation for arbitrary arrest, general exemplary damages, and special damages, citing the numerous rights that were infringed upon.
According to their counsel, Gloria Ballason, the elders were imprisoned for over three months and later released after the court found no charges against them. She emphasized that the former governor ordered the arrest of the ADA President, Mr. Aweni Dio Maisamari, without any investigation or reasonable suspicion of crime.
“We are here for a case of unjust imprisonment of the Adara Elders. They were imprisoned in 2019 and came to court to seek the enforcement of their fundamental rights,” Ballason stated. “Their Chief, Rafael Maiwada Galadima, was killed in very questionable and curious circumstances around the same time this arrest occurred under the administration of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.”
She further accused the previous administration of a series of rights violations, ranging from wrongful imprisonments to attacks. “The Nasiru El-Rufai administration was well known to be that of a cocktail of rights violations including killings to wrongful imprisonments to attacks,” she added.
The case has been adjourned by Justice Hauwa’u Buhari to allow proper service to the respondents in line with Order 5 Rule 7 of the Fundamental Human Rights Acts.
