SIX years after the mysterious disappearance of political commentator and university lecturer Abubakar Idris, popularly known as Dadiyata, human rights organisation Amnesty International and the activist’s family have sharply criticised the Federal Government over what they describe as a “shameful silence” and lack of accountability in resolving the case.
Speaking at a press conference in Kaduna to mark the sixth anniversary of Dadiyata’s abduction, the Country Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Isa Sanusi, described the incident as symbolic of Nigeria’s increasing hostility toward dissent and free expression.
“His family waited that night, hoping he’d walk back in. They waited the next day. Then weeks. Then months. Now six years. We are still asking the same question: Where is Dadiyata?” Sanusi said, his voice heavy with emotion.
He noted that despite persistent advocacy, not a single credible update had been provided by the Nigerian government or its security agencies. “The government may deny having taken him, but it cannot deny that it failed to protect him. That alone is a grave failure and breach of its constitutional duty.”
Sanusi went further, accusing the police and the Department of State Services (DSS) of making “weak and weightless promises,” offering no real effort or transparency in investigating the abduction.
“This case bears the classic traits of an enforced disappearance — the kind used by repressive regimes to silence critics. And it sends a chilling message to every Nigerian who dares to speak truth to power,” he warned.
Amnesty International reiterated its call for a full, independent investigation into Dadiyata’s abduction and demanded that President Bola Tinubu step in where his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, had failed.
“The Buhari administration failed woefully. Now President Tinubu must not continue this dangerous legacy. The government must be the search party. Time is running out. The family needs closure. The country needs answers,” Sanusi said.
Also speaking at the conference, Dadiyata’s younger brother, Usman Idris, shared how the family had been devastated by six years of uncertainty, trauma, and silence.
“Our mother died waiting for her son. Her heart broke. Then our uncle followed — the pain was too much. Now, our father is hanging by a thread. We’ve written to every agency — the Inspector-General of Police, the DSS, the Attorney-General. Not one response. Not one apology,” Usman lamented.
He described his brother as a man who used the pen, not violence, to demand better governance.
“Abubakar believed in ideas. He believed in speaking truth. That’s what he did. And he paid the price for it,” he said.
Perhaps the most heartbreaking moment came when Dadiyata’s wife, Khadija Ahmad Lame, spoke through tears, recounting the pain of raising their children in the shadows of unanswered questions.
“Every day, they ask me: ‘Where is Daddy?’ And I have no answers. For six years, I’ve had to lie, distract, pray, and cry. This is no life,” she said, sobbing.
She called on President Tinubu and all Nigerians to join in demanding accountability and justice.
“We deserve to know what happened. We deserve to know where he is. We deserve peace,” she said.
Abubakar Idris, known online as Dadiyata, was a lecturer at the Federal University Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State. He was also a fierce critic of the government and an active voice in online political discourse.
On August 2, 2019, masked men stormed his home in the Barnawa area of Kaduna shortly after he returned from work. They forced him into his own vehicle and drove off. Since that night, neither he nor his car has been seen.
Amnesty says it will continue to press for answers, not just for Dadiyata, but for all Nigerians who have suffered similar fates, detained, disappeared, or silenced simply for speaking out.
“This case is not just about one man. It’s about freedom. It’s about our right to question those in power without fear,” Sanusi said.