Musa Muhammad Kamarawa, a former senior special assistant to ex‑Zamfara State governor Bello Matawalle, has claimed that he witnessed the killing of Abubakar Idris – popularly known as Dadiyata – in his presence. The allegation, posted in Hausa on a screenshot circulating on social‑media platforms, marks the latest development in a case that has remained unresolved for more than seven years.
Dadiyata, a university lecturer and outspoken critic of northern state governments, was abducted by armed men from his Kaduna home on 1 August 2019. He has been missing ever since, and his disappearance has been widely linked to his critical commentary on social media. Kamarawa’s claim suggests that the former assistant not only saw the killing but that it took place during an operation he described as “Operations Yaki Kaduna”.
The former aide also submitted a petition to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) on Thursday, accusing senior police officers CSP Hussaini Gimba and CSP Hassan Gimba of extortion, illegal house searches, seizure of property and a “partial investigation” aimed at pressuring him to hide his relationship with Matawalle. In the petition, Kamarawa alleges that the officers threatened him with death – citing the killings of Dadiyata and another individual, Saminu S/Fada Gusau – unless he concealed his ties to the former governor and to former Sokoto State governor Alh Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, whom he says was the officers’ primary target.
Political commentator Imran Wakili amplified the claim on X, describing it as a “golden opportunity” to investigate Dadiyata’s disappearance and alleged extrajudicial killing. “Such a statement cannot be ignored or brushed aside as ordinary political talk. It demands a thorough, transparent, and independent investigation,” Wakili wrote.
Security journalist Bakatsine, covering the northwest region, echoed the call for a transparent probe. “This is a weighty accusation involving enforced disappearance and alleged extrajudicial killings. The authorities must investigate transparently, and those responsible, if found guilty, must face justice,” the journalist posted on X on Friday.
Kamarawa’s petition also notes that he was forced, under duress, to record video statements that omitted any reference to his past role as SSA to Matawalle, despite his insistence that this omission was a condition imposed by the police. He attached his letter of appointment as SSA to the petition.
The renewed allegations arrive as the Federal Government has faced growing scrutiny over a pattern of enforced disappearances and alleged killings of government critics in northern Nigeria. Human‑rights groups have repeatedly called for independent investigations into such cases, but progress has been limited.
The IGP has not yet responded publicly to Kamarawa’s petition, and no official statement has been released regarding the involvement of the two senior police officers named in the document. As the story gains traction on social media, pressure is mounting for law‑enforcement agencies to address the claims and clarify the circumstances surrounding Dadiyata’s disappearance.
