Another controversy has engulfed the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) following the appointment of Dr Muhammad Nazifi (also rendered as Nazeef) Yunus as interim manager of the Al-Manar Education and Development Foundation in Kaduna State, reigniting public debate over his past arrest on allegations of links to the Boko Haram insurgency and raising wider questions about regulatory overreach and due process.
Dr Yunus, a university lecturer, was arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) in November 2013 alongside four other suspects over alleged plans to carry out attacks in Igalaland, Kogi State.
At the time, the DSS alleged that Yunus was the spiritual leader and recruitment coordinator of a Boko Haram cell.
Then DSS spokesperson Marilyn Ogar said the arrests demonstrated the resolve of security agencies to dismantle terror networks nationwide and urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and cooperate with authorities.
According to the DSS, the alleged plot was uncovered after two suspects were arrested at Zuba, on the outskirts of Abuja, while allegedly travelling to Borno State for weapons training.
Others paraded with Yunus were identified as Umar Musa, described as head of operations; Munzir Mustapha Yusuf, also known as Habib, alleged to be the armourer and chief courier; and Ismail Abdulazeez and Ibrahim Isa, alias “One in Town,” described as foot soldiers.
While the other suspects reportedly admitted involvement and implicated Yunus as their recruiter, he consistently denied the allegations, describing them as a frame-up.
During his 2013 media parade, he said, “I have never been a member of Boko Haram for one minute in my life. I even preach against them.”
His family strongly supported his claims. In a 2013 BBC report titled Nigeria’s Boko Haram crisis: Anger at lecturer Nazeef’s arrest, his wife, Sa’adatu Shu’aibu, described the arrest as “a set-up,” insisting she had never heard him preach violence.
His brother, Hadi Yunus, told the BBC that the lecturer’s academic work explicitly condemned Boko Haram ideology and that he regularly spoke against the group.
The BBC report also noted that Yunus was arrested shortly after delivering a sermon in Jos in which he criticised the process of appointing heads of security agencies, suggesting bias against Muslims, an episode his family believed may have contributed to his arrest.
More than a decade later, no public conviction or formal exoneration has been placed on record, but Yunus has continued to maintain his innocence, with supporters reiterating that his teachings and scholarship oppose violent extremism.
The controversy resurfaced following actions taken by the CAC under its Registrar-General, Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, SAN.
Court documents filed at the Federal High Court show that the CAC issued a letter dated 10 September 2025 suspending the entire board of trustees of Al-Manar, an incorporated religious trust, and replacing them with interim managers appointed by the commission, including Yunus.
According to the filings, the trustees were removed without prior notice, without a hearing, and despite their tenure not having expired.
“This was a unilateral action taken in total violation of natural justice,” a source familiar with the case said, describing it as “regulatory power exercised without process.”
Further allegations in affidavits claim that letters were sent to Al-Manar’s banks seeking to alter account signatories and redirect access to the foundation’s funds.
The documents allege that control of the accounts was steered toward an individual described as a family associate of the Registrar-General.
Legal observers say such steps, if proven, would exceed the CAC’s supervisory mandate.
“That is not regulation; that is control,” a senior lawyer following the case said. “No regulator has the authority to take over bank accounts without a court order.”
The appointment of Yunus has drawn the sharpest criticism, particularly given his past arrest by security agencies. While civil society groups in 2013 condemned what they described as indiscriminate arrests of Islamic scholars, security analysts argue that his history should have warranted caution.
“This is about risk assessment and perception,” one analyst said. “You don’t place someone once accused of terror links in charge of a mosque’s finances.”
Trustees and community leaders linked to Al-Manar say they were neither consulted nor informed before the appointment.
“This was imposed on us,” one trustee said. “It disregarded our autonomy, our faith, and our right to manage our own institution.”
Court filings also allege that Yunus has close family ties to Magaji, raising concerns about a conflict of interest. While personal relationships are not illegal, governance experts warn that public office requires clear boundaries. “The appearance of impropriety here is overwhelming,” a former regulator said.
The matter has gained additional weight amid reports that the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation had previously intervened in related CAC disputes. Despite this, Magaji has reportedly defended his actions in media interviews, a stance critics have described as defiant.
“This is no longer just about Al-Manar,” a constitutional lawyer said. “It goes to the heart of how regulatory power is exercised and whether officials believe they are bound by the same laws as everyone else.”
The CAC has not issued a formal response to the specific allegations contained in the court filings.
However, insiders say the unfolding case is already damaging the commission’s credibility and reinforcing perceptions of institutional recklessness.
As proceedings continue, observers stress that no findings of guilt have been made against any party and that the courts will ultimately determine the legality of the CAC’s actions. Still, civil society advocates warn that the issues raised point to deeper governance concerns.
“For a country struggling to rebuild trust in public institutions, this is a dangerous signal,” one advocate said. “Power without restraint is not regulation, it is capture.”
