Amnesty International has called on the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to ensure that the investigation into the disappearance of government critic and academic, Abubakar Idris, also known as Dadiyata, is conducted with full transparency and credibility.
In a statement issued on Sunday, May 10, the organisation urged the police to handle the case with urgency and integrity, following the directive ordering a fresh probe into the nearly seven-year-old incident.
Amnesty International said it “welcomes the directive issued on 8 May 2026 by the Inspector-General of Police ordering an investigation into the enforced disappearance” of Dadiyata.
The group noted that the decision to reopen the case came after petitions alleging the involvement of two serving police officers.
According to the organisation, “the decision to refer the matter to the Police Monitoring Unit follows petitions raising serious allegations against two serving police officers in connection with the case.”
It, however, stressed that the credibility of the process would be crucial in restoring public confidence.
Amnesty International said, “the authorities must ensure that the investigation is prompt, impartial, transparent, effective, and capable of establishing the full circumstances surrounding Dadiyata’s enforced disappearance.”
The renewed attention to the case follows a petition by human rights lawyer Abba Fagge, who asked the Inspector-General to launch an independent investigation into two senior police officers over alleged links to the disappearance.
Reports indicate that the petition was based on claims by Muhammad Kamarawa, a former Senior Special Assistant to ex-Zamfara State Governor Bello Matawalle.
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Kamarawa reportedly alleged that the officers threatened him during his detention at Operations Yaki in Kaduna in 2021 and claimed responsibility for Dadiyata’s killing.
Dadiyata, a lecturer in the Department of English and Linguistics at the Federal University Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State, was abducted in the early hours of August 2, 2019, from his residence in Barnawa, Kaduna.
Amnesty International referenced eyewitness accounts from his wife, stating that “two armed persons who covered their faces abducted Dadiyata.”
The organisation said it has consistently demanded accountability in the case, noting that it “has remained at the forefront of calls for truth, justice, and accountability.”
It added that “for nearly seven years, his family, friends, and supporters have continued to demand answers regarding his whereabouts and fate.”
Amnesty International further urged the authorities to safeguard all individuals connected to the case.
It called on the government to “guarantee the independence of the investigation, protect all individuals connected to the case from intimidation or reprisals, and make the findings of the inquiry public.”
The group also emphasised the need for accountability, insisting that “where sufficient admissible evidence exists, anyone found responsible, regardless of rank or position, must be brought to justice in proceedings that meet international fair trial standards.”
Beyond the Dadiyata case, the organisation urged authorities to address the broader issue of enforced disappearances in Nigeria.
It said the government “must also take concrete steps to address the wider pattern of enforced disappearances and ensure that victims and their families have access to truth, justice, and effective remedies.”
Dadiyata was widely known for criticising former Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje and for his support of the Kwankwasiyya movement.
Both Ganduje and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai have repeatedly denied any involvement in his disappearance.
The Department of State Services had earlier reopened investigations into the case in February.