A Federal High Court has ordered the release of Sheikh Sani Zaria and awarded him millions in damages after finding that the DIA and DSS unlawfully detained him for months over an alleged link to a coup plot against President Tinubu.
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the immediate and unconditional release of a prominent Islamic scholar, Sheikh Sani Abdulladir Zaria, from the custody of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) and the Department of State Services (DSS). The 75-year-old cleric had been detained for over two months without trial following his arrest in connection with an alleged plot to overthrow the government of President Bola Tinubu. The court found that the security agencies breached sections 35 and 36 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantee the right to personal liberty and a fair hearing.
In a scathing judgment delivered on Monday, Justice Lifu imposed a fine of ₦2 million each on the DIA and the DSS to be paid to the cleric as damages. The judge also ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Jaiz Bank to pay ₦1 million each for freezing the scholar’s bank account without a valid court order. Furthermore, the court directed the security agencies to tender a public apology to Sheikh Zaria, rebuking the DIA specifically for failing to subordinate itself to civil rule after it refused to produce the detainee despite previous court orders.
Sheikh Zaria was originally taken into “safe custody” on December 11, 2025, after ₦2 million was discovered in his account a payment he claimed was a donation from a disciple who was later indicted in the alleged coup plot. Despite the cleric’s offer to forfeit the funds to regain his freedom, he was held for investigation into his complicity. Justice Lifu emphasized that as a signatory to international human rights conventions, Nigeria cannot tolerate such victimization, and he ordered the Attorney General of the Federation to ensure the judgment is complied with immediately.