JUST IN: Atiku demands release of detained Islamic cleric Sani Khalifa

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called for the immediate release or prosecution of Sheikh Sani Khalifa Zaria, a Kaduna-based cleric.

In a statement on Wednesday, Atiku said the continued detention of the cleric without trial is a violation of his fundamental rights.

Atiku said Khalifa has reportedly been held since December 2025 over allegations of involvement in a coup plot.

He said the cleric has not been formally charged before any court of law, stressing that the prolonged detention without due process raises serious constitutional and human rights concerns.

He also said a subsisting order of the Federal High Court directing that the cleric be presented in court has allegedly been ignored.

Part of the statement read: “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 said 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.

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

He expressed concern over growing public speculation about the cleric’s condition, adding that the silence of authorities has deepened uncertainty and mistrust among the public.

The former vice-president urged security agencies to either release Khalifa or charge him before a competent court, noting that anything short of that would amount to unlawful detention and abuse of power.