A Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna has awarded ₦900 million in damages against the former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, and five others for the unlawful detention of Adara elders in 2019.
The ruling was delivered on Tuesday by Justice Hauwa’u Buhari in a suit brought before the court by Awemi Dio Maisamari and eight other elders from the Adara community in Southern Kaduna.
The court found that El-Rufai had personally authorised the arbitrary arrest and detention of the applicants, thereby violating their fundamental human rights. As a consequence, he was held directly liable for the ₦900 million in compensation.
In addition, the court ordered the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Commissioner of Police for Kaduna State to jointly pay ₦10 million in general damages and another ₦10 million in special damages.
Counsel to the applicants, Gloria Mabeiam Ballason, welcomed the verdict, describing it as a landmark in the fight against official impunity.
"This judgment marks a watershed moment in the pursuit of justice and accountability for the abuse of power, regardless of whether the perpetrators temporarily enjoy immunity from prosecution," Ballason remarked. "Immunity is not a licence for executive lawlessness."