Olayiwola Matthew
A Federal High Court in Kaduna has awarded N900 million in damages against the immediate past Governor of the state, Nasir El-Rufai; and five others over the unlawful detention of some Adara community elders in the Kajuru Local Government Area of the state in 2019.
The presiding Judge, Justice Hauwa’u Buhari, delivered the judgment in favour of one of the plaintiffs, Awemi Dio Maisamari,and eight other Adara elders who were unlawfully detained over the murder of their traditional ruler, Raphael Maiwada Galadima.
El-Rufai, who was sued in his personal capacity, was found guilty for ordering the arrest and detention of the elders.
The judge also dismissed preliminary objections raised by the respondents, who argued that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to handle the case, and that the case was based on tort rather than fundamental human rights violations.
In her reaction, the lead counsel for the plaintiffs, Gloria Ballason, described the judgement as a landmark victory against abuse of executive power.
She said, “This judgment is a watershed moment in the fight against executive lawlessness and human rights violations. It reaffirms that public office holders can be held accountable even after leaving office.”
The eight elders were arrested during a town hall meeting convened by the former governor in 2019, following the abduction and killing of the traditional ruler by his abductors.
The elders, including a former commissioner and a retired police officer, were detained for several months before being released on the advice of the attorney general of Kaduna State, who found no legal justification for their continued detention.