The family of Sheikh Khalifa Sani Abdulkadir Zaria, a prominent Islamic scholar and leader of the Fityanul Islam, Tijaniyya sect, has raised an alarm over his whereabouts.
Missing for 25 days as of Wednesday, Sheikh Khalifa Sani, Zaria has not been seen or heard from since he traveled to Abuja on December 13, to resolve a sudden freeze on his bank account.
Dawn Herald gathered that the scholar was intercepted in Abuja by security personnel after it was discovered that he received ₦2 million from a senior military officer. This officer is one of the 16 high-ranking personnel currently detained by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) over an alleged plot to overthrow the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The family stated that the money given to Sheikh Khalifa was a traditional gift for spiritual prayers.
They said it was a military case and informed soldiers. My father called once to say he was fine, but we still don’t know why he was arrested, where he is, or what condition he is in – Sunusi Khalifa, Son of the Scholar
Sheikh Khalifa is a highly respected figure within the Tijaniyya Sufi order and serves as the National Vice President of Fityanul Islam.
Under Nigerian law, suspects should not be held for more than 48 hours without being charged or brought before a court. For 25 days, the scholar has had no access to legal counsel or his family. Aside from one brief, monitored phone call, his exact location remains unknown.
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