Atiku demands release or prosecution of detained Kaduna cleric

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A former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has called for the immediate release or prosecution of Kaduna-based cleric, Sheikh Sani Khalifa Zaria, over his continued detention without trial.

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In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Atiku Media Office, Atiku described the cleric’s detention since December 2025 as a violation of his fundamental rights.

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According to the statement posted on X by Atiku’s media aide, Paul Ibe, Sheikh Khalifa has been held over allegations of involvement in a coup plot but has not been formally charged before any court of law.

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The former vice president said the development raises serious constitutional and human rights concerns, particularly as a subsisting order of the Federal High Court directing that the cleric be presented in court has allegedly been ignored.

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“There can be no democracy without strict adherence to the rule of law. No security agency is above the Constitution, and none has the power to treat the rights of citizens as privileges to be dispensed with at will,” the statement read.

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He warned that the continued detention of the cleric without access to his family, legal counsel, and adequate medical care amounts to a violation of his constitutional rights.

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Atiku added that such actions by security agencies could undermine Nigeria’s democratic foundations and erode citizens’ fundamental rights.

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He also expressed concern over growing public speculation about the cleric’s condition, noting that the silence of authorities has heightened uncertainty and mistrust.

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“Nigeria cannot continue to claim the status of a democracy while the rights of its citizens are routinely and brazenly violated,” he stated.

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The former vice president “therefore called on the relevant security agencies to either release Sheikh Sani Khalifa immediately or charge him before a competent court without further delay.”

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He maintained that anything short of this amounts to unlawful detention and abuse of power.

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Sheikh Khalifa has been in custody since December 2025, following his arrest in Abuja.

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The detention reportedly stemmed from an alleged N2 million transfer to his bank account from a military officer linked to a purported coup plot against President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

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PUNCH Online reported in February that a Federal High Court in Abuja condemned the cleric’s continued detention by the Defence Intelligence Agency.

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Justice Peter Lifu also ordered the federal government to produce Abdulkadir in court on February 18.

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The directives followed a fundamental rights enforcement suit through Sheikh Khalifa’s lawyers, describing the arrest and detention as unlawful and a violation of his constitutional rights to personal liberty, dignity and fair hearing.

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However, counsel to the DIA, I.O Odom, informed the court that an order permitting the detention had been obtained under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, but could not provide a copy.

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He said the relevant documents were in the custody of the chairman of a Special Investigation Panel, who was said to be out of the country.

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