ABUJA, Nigeria – The wife of Abubakar Idris, a Nigerian social media commentator known as Dadiyata, who has been missing since 2019, on Thursday made a public appeal to Nasir El-Rufai, urging him to disclose what he knows about her husband’s fate as the former governor remains in the custody of federal authorities.
The appeal was issued on Thursday, February 19, 2026, as El-Rufai faced investigations by multiple agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), over allegations of financial misconduct and cybercrime.
A Disappearance Unresolved
Idris, a vocal critic of the Kaduna State government during El-Rufai’s tenure, was abducted from his home in the Barnawa area of Kaduna on August 2, 2019.
His whereabouts have remained unknown since then.
In an interview on Thursday, February 19, 2026, Idris’s wife, Hafsat, said the disappearance had left her family in prolonged distress.
She appealed directly to El-Rufai to assist in clarifying what happened to her husband.
“I am appealing to Nasir El-Rufai, please fear Allah and bring back my husband,” she said.
“Whether he is dead or alive, just let us know so we can have closure. Our children deserve to know what happened to their father.”
Hafsat also recalled past comments made on social media by one of El-Rufai’s sons regarding her husband’s disappearance, saying the remarks deepened her emotional trauma.
Those comments were not independently verified.
Public Reaction
The appeal coincided with El-Rufai’s detention, prompting widespread discussion on social media platforms.
Many Nigerians expressed sympathy for Hafsat while also questioning why Idris’s disappearance has remained unresolved for nearly seven years.
Others drew attention to the contrast between the swift actions taken by security agencies against El-Rufai and the absence of publicly disclosed progress in the investigation into Idris’s abduction.
Ongoing Investigations
El-Rufai, who governed Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023, is currently being investigated over allegations involving a report by the Kaduna State House of Assembly that cited financial irregularities amounting to 423 billion naira during his administration.
He is also facing a separate criminal charge filed by the Department of State Services concerning the alleged unlawful interception of telephone communications belonging to Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
As of Thursday night, El-Rufai remained in ICPC custody. Federal authorities have not announced any new developments regarding the disappearance of Idris.
For Hafsat and her children, the appeal was framed not as a political statement but as a request for information about a family member who vanished and never returned.
