A former Nigerian vp and chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has known as for the fast launch of Kaduna-based cleric, Sheikh Sani Khalifa Zaria, from detention.
In a signed assertion made accessible to Blueprint by his media workplace in Abuja, the Wazirin Adamawa mentioned the continued detention of Sheikh Sani with out trial was a grave violation of his elementary rights.
He mentioned Khalifa had reportedly been held since December 2025 over allegations of involvement in a coup plot and has not been formally charged earlier than any court docket of regulation.
Atiku decried his extended detention with out due course of, saying it raises critical constitutional and human rights considerations.
He additional expressed dismay {that a} subsisting order of the Federal Excessive Courtroom directing that the cleric be introduced in court docket has been ignored, an motion he described as a direct affront to the rule of regulation and judicial authority.
“There might be no democracy with out strict adherence to the rule of regulation. No safety company is above the structure, and none has the ability to deal with the rights of residents as privileges to be disbursed with at will,” the assertion reads.
He additional warned that the continued detention of Sheikh Khalifa with out entry to his household, authorized counsel, and satisfactory medical care quantities to a gross violation of his constitutional rights.
Atiku cautioned that normalising such conduct by safety businesses poses a major threat to Nigeria’s democratic foundations and dangers eroding the elemental rights assured to all residents.
He additionally expressed concern over rising public hypothesis surrounding the cleric’s situation, noting that the silence of the authorities has solely deepened uncertainty and distrust.
“Nigeria can’t proceed to assert the standing of a democracy whereas the rights of its residents are routinely and openly violated,” he said.