Dare Babalola
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has called for the immediate release or formal prosecution of Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Sani Khalifa Zaria, over what he described as his unlawful detention without trial.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Atiku Media Office in Abuja, the former presidential candidate expressed concern over the continued detention of the cleric since December 2025, allegedly in connection with a coup plot, without being formally charged before any court of law.
Atiku described the situation as a “grave violation” of the cleric’s fundamental human rights, warning that such actions undermine Nigeria’s constitutional democracy and the rule of law. He further noted that a subsisting order of the Federal High Court directing that Sheikh Khalifa be presented in court has reportedly been ignored by the authorities.
“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,” Atiku stated.
He also raised concerns about the cleric’s welfare, alleging that he has been denied access to his family, legal representatives, and adequate medical care, which he said constitutes a further breach of his constitutional rights.
The former vice president warned that normalising such prolonged detention without due process poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s democratic institutions and could erode public trust in the justice system. He added that growing public speculation about the cleric’s condition has been worsened by the silence of relevant authorities.
“Nigeria cannot continue to claim the status of a democracy while the rights of its citizens are routinely and brazenly violated,” he added.
Atiku, therefore, urged security agencies to either release Sheikh Sani Khalifa immediately or charge him before a competent court without further delay, insisting that anything short of this amounts to unlawful detention and an abuse of power.
