Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has been temporarily barred from leaving Nigeria after the Department of State Services seized his international passport.
The passport was siezed over an ongoing investigation linked to the 2019 disappearance of Abubakar Idris, widely known as Dadiyata.
A senior security source disclosed to Vanguard that the passport was taken last Thursday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
The action was said to be aimed at preventing the former Kaduna State governor from travelling back to Egypt after a brief stay in the country.
According to the source, the DSS is investigating El-Rufai and one of his sons over alleged involvement in Dadiyata’s abduction.
The case was reopened after months of review and intelligence gathering.
The official said preliminary findings suggest that the former governor, who was in office when the lecturer went missing, may have had knowledge of the incident.
Dadiyata, a lecturer in the Department of English and Linguistics at the Federal University Dutsinma in Katsina State, was declared missing on August 1, 2019, after gunmen reportedly took him from his residence in Kaduna. His whereabouts remain unknown.
During a recent interview on Arise Television, El-Rufai said he had heard about a police officer who allegedly confessed to being part of a team sent from Kano to abduct Dadiyata.
He claimed the confession came years after the incident.
However, the security source questioned why such information was not passed to relevant authorities if it was known.
The source added that the case attracted global concern at the time, with groups such as Amnesty International demanding answers.
Investigators are now reviewing whether any useful information was withheld and whether it was shared with law enforcement agencies or with his successor after he left office.
The DSS is also examining social media posts made in 2019 and 2020 by El-Rufai’s sons, Bello and Bashir.
The posts, according to the source, suggest that the missing lecturer was known to the family, which appears to differ from El-Rufai’s claim that he did not know Dadiyata before the disappearance.
Both sons are expected to be invited to assist in the probe.
Security officials said the agency worked with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission while carrying out broader reviews.
They explained that the kidnapping investigation is separate from corruption-related matters previously raised against the former governor.
The DSS maintained that seizing El-Rufai’s passport was necessary to ensure he remains available as investigations continue.
