By Parrot Newspaper 
Court Orders El-Rufai, Others to Pay N900 Million Over Rights Violation
Kaduna, Nigeria — The Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna has awarded N900 million in damages against former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, and five others for the unlawful arrest and detention of nine Adara elders in 2019, ruling the action a gross violation of their fundamental human rights.
Justice Hauwa’u Buhari delivered the landmark judgment on Tuesday in a suit filed by Awemi Dio Maisamari and eight other elders from the Adara community in Southern Kaduna. The applicants were arrested and detained following the October 2018 killing of Dr. Raphael Maiwada Galadima, the traditional ruler of the Adara people.
In her ruling, Justice Buhari held that El-Rufai, acting in his personal capacity, was directly responsible for orchestrating the unlawful detention. The court therefore found him liable and ordered the payment of N900 million as compensatory damages to the applicants.
In addition, the court awarded 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.
The applicants, who include former public officials such as ex-commissioner Bawa Magaji and a retired police commissioner, were detained without trial and later released after the Kaduna State Attorney General reportedly found no evidence linking them to the alleged crime.
Reacting to the judgment, lead counsel to the applicants, Gloria Mabeiam Ballason, praised the decision as a significant legal precedent.
“This judgment marks a watershed in the fight against executive lawlessness and impunity,” Ballason said. “It reaffirms that no public officer, whether cloaked in immunity or not, can act above the law.”
The suit was filed after El-Rufai had vacated office, allowing the court to entertain the matter against him in his personal capacity.
Court Orders El-Rufai
When contacted for comment, J.A. Danazumi, the Solicitor General of Kaduna State and counsel to the respondents, declined to respond.
Legal analysts say the ruling underscores the judiciary’s increasing willingness to hold former public officials accountable for rights violations during their tenure, especially in cases where political immunity has lapsed.