A source familiar with the incident revealed that the cleric’s ordeal began when his bank account was suddenly frozen without any written notice or court order.
The Nigerian government has been accused of secretly detaining a prominent Islamic scholar in Zaria, Kaduna State, Sheikh Sani Khalifa, amid growing concerns over alleged human rights violations and abuse of due process.
Sheikh Sani Khalifa has been held in custody for the past 23 days without any formal charges disclosed to him or his family.
According to the sources, his whereabouts remain unknown, and he has not been allowed access to legal representation or communication with relatives, actions said to be in clear violation of Nigeria’s legal framework and international human rights standards.
A source familiar with the incident revealed that the cleric’s ordeal began when his bank account was suddenly frozen without any written notice or court order.
“When his bank branch in Zaria was contacted, officials said the account could only be reactivated at the bank’s headquarters in Abuja,” the source said.
Upon his arrival in Abuja, security agents appeared and took him away, alleging that a soldier accused of involvement in a coup attempt had once sent him two million naira.
He was reportedly accused of having links to a soldier allegedly involved in a coup attempt, on the grounds that the soldier once transferred ₦2 million into his bank account.
However, another source strongly denied any criminal or political relationship between the cleric and the soldier.