The Department of State Services has reopened its investigation into the 2019 disappearance of Abubakar Idris, popularly known as Dadiyata, and plans to invite suspects for questioning.
Idris, a lecturer at the Federal University Dutsinma in Katsina State, was declared missing on Aug. 1, 2019, after gunmen reportedly abducted him from his residence in Kaduna. His whereabouts remain unknown nearly seven years later.
The development follows renewed concerns from his wife, Kadijah, who spoke in a video interview released Thursday by Reno Omokri on his X account.
Omokri, who visited Kadijah at her residence, called for public support for her and her children and pledged to pursue justice in the case.
“We pray that one day, he will come back,” Kadijah said, appealing to Nigerians for help in determining whether her husband is alive.
She also addressed a 2019 social media post she described as mocking her husband. According to her, she became aware of the comment after others showed it to her.
“I felt bad about it. I can’t even explain,” she said.
Kadijah recounted that her husband was abducted on Aug. 2, 2019, as he arrived home, saying she witnessed the incident from a window.
Omokri urged Kaduna State Gov. Uba Sani to provide assistance to the family, including relocation, educational support for the children and employment opportunities for Kadijah.
The case resurfaced Feb. 14, 2026, after former Kaduna State Gov. Nasir El- Rufai denied any involvement, stating he was unaware of Idris before the abduction and suggesting the commentator was primarily critical of the Kano State government.
El-Rufai said Idris was “a fierce critic of the Kano State government” and not of Kaduna, adding that authorities only learned of him after the family reported his disappearance.
He also suggested that questions about the case should be directed at the Kano State government.
In response, former Kano State Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje rejected any link to the disappearance, describing the allegations as “reckless” and an attempt to shift responsibility for an incident that occurred in Kaduna.
A security source told Nigerian Mirror that the DSS recently seized El-Rufai’s passport at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport to prevent him from traveling abroad while the investigation continues.
The source added that the DSS has expanded its probe to include El-Rufai and his two sons and is expected to invite them for questioning in connection with the case.
