Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja gave the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) February 18 to produce an Islamic cleric, Sheikh Sani Abdulkadir Zaria before it.
Sheikh Zaria is being accused of coup plot against President Bola Tinubu’s government.
Justice who gave the order on Friday, declared that all authorities were subordinated under the civil authority “as we are in a civilian rule”.
He said Section 36(1)(5) and (6) of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 avails him and “for all citizens.”
The court said with Nigeria being a signatory to different international conventions on human rights, Nigeria should not be behind such issues.
Justice Lifu on Thursday ordered the DIA to produce the cleric or show the legal authority for his continued detention after the cleric’s lawyers Sunusi Musa (SAN), Abdul Aliyu (SAN), and Mohammed Sheriff, brought against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the DIA, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, and Jaiz Bank Plc seeking his release from detention.
The court, on Thursday, set the case for ruling after hours of waiting, counsel to the DIA I. O. Odom Esq, whose position was adopted by the EFCC counsel M.C. Odimbaiwe Esq, informed the court that the applicant was only being held on behalf of the Defence Headquarters, adding that the agency’s provost marshal informed him that the chairman of the Special Investigation Panel (SIP) had travelled out of the country.
The court said since December 11, 2025, the applicant was kept in “safe custody” without access to family and associates after an investigation was opened about him, on grounds described as security reasons.
According to family sources, the cleric’s ordeal is linked to a N2 million gift wired to the bank account of the detained leader of the Fityanul Islam Tijanniyya sect by one of his adherents, who was indicted in the recent coup allegation.
