A serving officer of the Nigerian Army, Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji, has taken the Federal Government to court, challenging what he describes as his prolonged and unlawful detention without trial.
The suit, filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja under the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules 2009, seeks his immediate release and ₦500 million in damages for the alleged violation of his fundamental rights.
Named as respondents in the case are the Attorney General of the Federation, the Chief of Army Staff, the Nigerian Army, and the Chief of Defence Intelligence.
Through his counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), the applicant argued that his detention for over six months without being charged before a competent court is unconstitutional and a clear breach of his rights.
“This incarceration for over six months without being charged before a competent court amounts to a breach of his constitutional rights to personal liberty and human dignity,” the lawyer stated.
Court documents show that Ma’aji was arrested on or about 30 September 2025, alongside others over allegations of conspiring to overthrow the government. However, he claims that since his arrest, he has been held at a military facility in Abuja without access to his family, legal representatives, or adequate medical care.
He further alleged that the authorities have failed to arraign him within a reasonable time, contrary to Sections 34 and 35 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which Nigeria has domesticated.
In his application, the colonel asks the court to declare his continued detention unconstitutional and to order his immediate release. In the alternative, he requests that the court compel the respondents to arraign him before a competent court within 7 days.
An affidavit deposed to by a litigation officer in his lawyer’s chambers stated that the applicant has been held incommunicado since his arrest, despite authorities’ claims that the investigations have been concluded.
As of the time of filing this report, no date has been fixed for the hearing of the case.
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