Amnesty International has welcomed the directive issued on 8 May 2026 by the Inspector-General of Police ordering a formal investigation into the enforced disappearance of government critic, Abubakar Idris (Dadiyata).
According to consistent eyewitness accounts, Dadiyata’s wife reported that he was abducted from his home by two armed men who concealed their faces. The development has renewed attention on one of Nigeria’s most high-profile unresolved disappearance cases.
The decision to refer the matter to the Police Monitoring Unit follows multiple petitions alleging the involvement of serving police officers in the incident. Amnesty International says the investigation must be conducted in a manner that is prompt, impartial, transparent, and effective, with the capacity to fully establish the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.
Since Dadiyata was abducted from his residence in Barnawa, Kaduna State, in August 2019, Amnesty International has consistently called for truth, justice, and accountability. Nearly seven years on, his family, friends, and supporters continue to demand answers about his fate and whereabouts.
The organization is urging authorities to guarantee the independence of the investigation and ensure that all individuals linked to the case are protected from intimidation, harassment, or reprisals. It also called for the eventual findings of the inquiry to be made public.
Amnesty International further stated that if credible and admissible evidence is found, anyone responsible—regardless of position or rank—must be prosecuted in accordance with international fair trial standards.
The rights group also stressed the need for broader reforms, urging Nigerian authorities to address the wider pattern of enforced disappearances and ensure victims’ families have access to truth, justice, and effective remedies.
