DSS confirms seizure of El-Rufai’s passport, says ex-governor under investigation

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

The Department of State Services (DSS) has officially confirmed that it seized the international passport of former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, as part of an active investigation into the 2019 disappearance of Abubakar Idris, a lecturer popularly known as Dadiyata.

A top security source disclosed to the press on Monday that the former governor is being probed for his alleged involvement in the kidnap and disappearance of Idris. According to the source, the security agency moved to prevent El-Rufai from leaving the country after he briefly returned to Nigeria, allegedly to orchestrate a swift exit.

“El-Rufai is fully aware that the DSS is investigating him for Dadiyata’s kidnap,” the source stated. He explained that the former governor had planned to visit the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) this week before “flying back to Cairo. Seizing his passport has shattered his plans.”

The investigation into the case has been reopened following months of intelligence gathering. The security source alleged that El-Rufai, who was the sitting governor of Kaduna State when Idris was abducted from his home in August 2019, may have had prior knowledge of the incident. The lecturer’s whereabouts remain unknown to date.

The probe has intensified following El-Rufai’s recent appearance on Arise Television, where he claimed that a “remorseful policeman” had confessed to being part of a team sent from Kano State to carry out the abduction. The former governor attempted to shift responsibility to former Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, stating, “If anybody is to be asked about the disappearance of Dadiyata, it is the Kano state government.”

Security agencies, however, view this explanation with skepticism. “It would be interesting to know what a man who had been a minister and governor did with such key information,” the source said, questioning why El-Rufai failed to report the alleged confession to law enforcement at the time.

In a significant expansion of the probe, the DSS also stated that El-Rufai’s sons, Bello and Bashir, would be invited for questioning. Investigators pointed to old social media posts from 2019 and 2020 that suggest the family was aware of Dadiyata. In one post, Bashir El-Rufai criticized those asking “#WhereisDadiyata,” while Bello El-Rufai posted a cryptic message stating, “The things that we’ve done to protect the name are unsettling… Death to a coward and a traitor.”

The DSS clarified that its investigation is focused specifically on the alleged kidnapping, separate from financial corruption probes being conducted by the EFCC and ICPC regarding El-Rufai’s tenure as governor. An ICPC source noted that the former governor’s allies have been avoiding questioning regarding a separate probe into alleged misappropriation of funds during his administration.

The development has sparked widespread reactions, with human rights activists, including Omoyele Sowore and Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, as well as former Senator Shehu Sani, calling for a thorough investigation and possible prosecution.