Court Orders FG to Produce Zaria Cleric by February 2025

On Thursday, a court presided over by Justice Peter Lifu ordered the Federal Government of Nigeria to produce a detained cleric from Zaria by February 18, 2025. The order follows an application filed by the cleric's lawyers, Sunusi Musa, San Abdul Aliyu, and San Moham Sheriff, against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Attorney General of the Federation, and Jaiz Bank PLC.

The application cites violations of fundamental rights under Sections 36(1), (5), and (6) of the Nigerian Constitution of 1999, emphasizing Nigeria's commitment to international human rights conventions. The court was informed that the EFCC's provost marshal had traveled abroad, complicating the case.

The cleric, a leader of the Fityanul Islam Tijanniyya sect, is linked to a N2 million gift wired to his bank account amid coup allegations. The judge ordered that the application be kept safe without access to family or associates for security reasons.