Lawyers petition Kaduna government over El-Zakzakys’ health

Counsel to the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, and his wife, Zeenat, led by Femi Falana (SAN) have urged the Kaduna State Government to release them for immediate medical treatment following deteriorating health condition in custody.

According to Falana, recent medical tests carried out on El-Zakzaky showed that bullets lodged in his skull and body during the December 2015 clash with soldiers were threatening his life.

In a petition to the Kaduna State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Aisha Dikko, the Shiites’ lead counsel said that “series of tests and scans were carried out on our clients, which revealed that there are still bullet particles lodged in several parts of our clients’ bodies (including a shrapnel still lodged in the skull of Ibrahim El-Zakzaky) among other dire medical attention which cannot be attended to at any of the detention facilities of the Nigerian Correctional Service.”

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) also sent the copies of the scan and medical reports to the office of the Attorney General, while urging the urgent release of the religious leader and his wife for urgent treatment, to save their lives.

He said: “As you are, no doubt, aware, the Federal Government (in line with the global trend of decongesting detention centres owing to the novel coronavirus pandemic) mandated that the various detention centres in the country, subject to certain criteria among which is terminal illness, should bed decongested.

“In view of the foregoing, we urge you to use your good offices to secure the immediate release of our clients from custody, to enable them access requisite medical care.”

He noted that his clients were arrested in Zaria, Kaduna State, on December 12, 2015 following a clash between members of the Shia, Islamic movement and officers of the army.

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