A coalition of victims and civil society organisations on Monday called for a comprehensive investigation into alleged human rights violations during the administration of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.
Operating under the banner of the Kaduna Victims’ Coalition, the group said survivors and families affected by policies and security incidents between 2015 and 2023 were demanding “full accountability under the rule of law.”
El-Rufai, who governed Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023, has consistently defended his record, maintaining that his administration acted within the law and in the best interest of the state.
In a statement issued on Monday, the coalition said its membership comprised community leaders, professionals, traditional rulers, faith leaders, journalists, lawyers and civil servants who claimed to have suffered or witnessed hardship during the eight-year administration.
The statement was signed by former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Chidi Odinkalu; lawyers Audu Maikori and Gloria Ballason; Steven Kefas; Luka Binniyat; and several civil society organisations, including House of Justice and Atrocities Watch Africa.
Among the cases cited was the 2018 abduction and killing of the Agwam Adara, Maiwada Galadima, who was kidnapped in October 2018 and later killed despite the reported payment of ransom.
The coalition also referenced the disappearance of Abubakar Idris, popularly known as Dadiyata, a lecturer at the Federal University Dutsin-Ma, who was abducted from his residence in Barnawa, Kaduna, on August 2, 2019. According to the group, Idris has remained missing since the incident.
The statement further alleged a pattern of actions during the period, including arbitrary arrests, persecution of critics, demolitions of homes, dismissal of workers and displacement of residents. However, it did not provide detailed evidence for each claim.
The coalition expressed concern over what it described as attempts to “reframe” the former governor’s record, insisting that affected families had yet to receive justice or closure.
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“It is not about political vendetta or media narratives,” the statement read. “It is about families who lost loved ones, livelihoods destroyed, and communities displaced. These wounds remain open because there has been no transparent process of accountability.”
The group added that no democracy could thrive where allegations of abuse were ignored, stressing that independent investigations free from political interference were necessary to restore public confidence.
“Justice is not selective. Where there is no wrongdoing, investigations will clear the record. But where evidence establishes violations, the law must take its course,” the statement said.
It further stated that governance must be anchored on constitutional safeguards and respect for fundamental rights, adding that its sole demand was accountability under the rule of law, thorough and independent investigations, prosecutions where evidence warranted, and justice for victims and their families.
The coalition pledged to cooperate with law enforcement agencies and judicial institutions should formal investigations be initiated.