COURT ORDERS RELEASE OF CLERIC OVER COUP PLOT ALLEGATION
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By:Tajudeen Aminat
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the immediate and unconditional release of Islamic scholar, Sheikh Sani Abdulladir Zaria, from the custody of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) and the Department of State Services (DSS).
The cleric was detained following his arrest over an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu.
In his judgment delivered on Monday, the judge also imposed a fine of N2 million each on the DIA and DSS, to be paid to the cleric, for violating Sections 35 and 36 of the Constitution by holding the 75-year-old man in detention for over two months without trial.
The judge noted that since December 11, 2025, the applicant had been held in “safe custody” without access to his family or associates after an investigation was opened into him on security grounds.
Justice Lifu also directed the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) to ensure immediate compliance with the court’s ruling.
The cleric has been in the custody of the DIA since December last year after N2 million was discovered in his Jaiz Bank account, allegedly transferred by one of the suspected coup plotters.
Although he reportedly agreed to forfeit the funds to the Federal Government in exchange for his release, the security agency continued to detain him to determine the extent of his alleged involvement in the plot.
He maintained his innocence, insisting that the individual who sent the money was merely his disciple.
Other respondents in the suit filed by Zaria’s legal team—comprising Sunusi Musa, SAN, Abdul Aliyu, SAN, and Mohammed Sheriff—include the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, and Jaiz Bank Plc.
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