Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called for the release or prosecution of Kaduna-based cleric Sani Zaria over his continued detention without trial.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by his media office, ex-Vice President Atiku said the cleric has been in custody since December 2025 without being charged in court.
The statement, shared by his aide Paul Ibe, said the detention raises concerns about constitutional rights and due process.
Atiku said there is a subsisting order of the Federal High Court directing that the cleric be presented in court, which he said has not been followed.
“There can be no democracy without strict adherence to the rule of law. No security agency is above the Constitution,” he said.
He said the cleric has no access to his family, legal counsel and medical care.
Atiku said this amounts to a violation of his rights and could affect public trust.
He called on security agencies to either release the cleric or charge him before a court.
The cleric was arrested in Abuja in December 2025 over allegations of involvement in a coup plot.
The case involved a reported N2 million transfer to his account from a military officer linked to the plot.
In February, a judge of the Federal High Court, Peter Lifu, ordered that the cleric be produced in court.
The order followed a suit filed by his lawyers challenging his detention.
Counsel to the Defence Intelligence Agency said an order permitting the detention had been obtained but did not present it in court.
The case is yet to be concluded.
