ATIKU condemns ‘unlawful’ detention of Sheikh ZARIA

Thursday, March 26, 2026 - 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.

Sheikh Khalifa has reportedly been in custody since December 2025, following allegations linking him to a coup plot, but he has yet to be formally charged in any court.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Atiku Media Office, the former vice president described the cleric’s prolonged detention as a “grave violation” of his fundamental rights and a threat to Nigeria’s democratic principles.

Atiku expressed concern that a subsisting order of the Federal High Court directing that the cleric be produced in court had allegedly been ignored by 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,” he said.

He further warned that keeping the cleric in custody without access to his family, legal counsel, and adequate medical care amounts to a serious breach of his constitutional rights.

According to Atiku, normalising such actions by security agencies could undermine the country’s democratic foundations.

“The continued detention of Sheikh Khalifa without due process poses a significant threat to the rule of law and risks eroding the fundamental rights guaranteed to all citizens,” he said.

The former vice president also raised concerns over growing public speculation about the cleric’s condition, noting that the silence of authorities has only deepened uncertainty and mistrust.

“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 the relevant security agencies to either release Sheikh Sani Khalifa immediately or charge him before a competent court without further delay, insisting that anything short of that would amount to unlawful detention and abuse of power.