A Federal High Court in Kaduna has ordered former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai to pay N900 million in damages over the arbitrary arrest and detention of nine elders from the Adara community in Kajuru Local Government Area in 2019. Justice Hauwau Buhari, who delivered the ruling on Tuesday, May 27, held El-Rufai personally liable for orchestrating the arrest, describing it as a violation of the elders fundamental human rights. The judgment followed a suit filed by Awemi Dio Maisamari, former president of the Adara Development Association (ADA), who sought redress for his 43-day detention without trial. Maisamari, alongside eight other elders, was detained in 2019 after El-Rufai accused them of being behind violent unrest in Kajuru. The elders were eventually released after the Attorney General found no evidence linking them to the crisis. The court also awarded an additional N10 million in general damages and another N10 million in special damages against the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector General of Police, and the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police for their role in the illegal detention. The suit, which was filed in March 2024, requested compensation totaling N2.3 billion for the violation of rights, loss of business earnings, and injury to personal and professional reputation. The court's ruling falls short of the amount sought but represents a significant legal victory for the applicants. Counsel to the applicants, Gloria Mabeiam Ballason, described the ruling as a landmark moment in the battle against abuse of power, stressing that immunity during office should not translate to executive lawlessness. Ballason emphasized the importance of holding former officials accountable for actions taken while in power. The case was heard in El-Rufais absence after he was reportedly served notice through substituted means. Neither he nor legal representatives appeared in court. Government officials named in the suit, including the Nigeria Police Force and the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, have yet to respond publicly to the judgment.
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