A serving officer of the Nigerian Army, Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji, has filed a suit at the Federal High Court of Nigeria in Abuja, challenging what he describes as his prolonged detention without trial since September 2025.
In the fundamental rights enforcement case, Ma’aji is asking the court to order his immediate release and also award him ₦500 million in damages for alleged violation of his constitutional rights.
He is suing the Attorney General of the Federation, the Chief of Army Staff, the Nigerian Army, and the Chief of Defence Intelligence, arguing that his continued detention violates his rights to liberty and fair hearing under the 1999 Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
According to court filings, Ma’aji was arrested alongside others over alleged involvement in a conspiracy to overthrow the government. His lawyers argue that despite being held for over six months, he has not been formally charged or arraigned in any court or military tribunal.
The suit further claims he has been denied access to his family, legal counsel, and adequate medical care while in military custody, and that no court martial has been convened to try him.
He is asking the court to declare his detention unlawful and either order his release or compel authorities to arraign him within seven days.
The case has not yet been assigned a hearing date.
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