Following the continuous detention and alleged failing health of the leader and founder of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, widely known as Shi’ite , Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife, Malama Zeenat, the Sokoto State leader of the group, Malam Kasim Umar, has called on the federal government to immediately release the incarcerated leader.
He stated that just like President Muhammad Buhari, who urgently left the country to take care of his health, Zakzaky too was in desperate need of medical attention.
“It is confirmed that Malam’s health is deteriorating by the day,” he told newsmen on Saturday.
“He has lost one eye already and even the second eye is being affected. If left unattended to, he can lose it as well.
“The gunshot injury he sustained on one of his legs during the military clamp down in 2015 is still there.
“I am therefore appealing to the acting President who is a pastor and a renowned lawyer to release Malam as ordered by the Court for him to be properly checked and treated’’, he said.
On purported plan by the federal government to release Zakzaky to the Kaduna State Government for prosecution, Umar expressed Shi’ites’ fears.
He stated that their leader would not be given fair trial, with Kaduna government planning to charge Zakzaky based on alleged offences committed over 30 years ago.
Umar appealed to other nations of the world, local and international human right groups to pressurize the federal government to obey existing court order and release the IMN leader.
TheNewsGuru.com reports that an Abuja Federal High Court had on January 30 directed the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris, the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, and the Director of the Department of State Services, DSS, Lawal Daura to release El-Zakzaky and his wife, Malama Zeenat or risk going to jail.