EL- ZAKZAKYS’ HALF FREEDOM

It has been months since the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky and his wife, Malama Zeenah, were acquitted and discharged after spending almost six years in illegal detention.

The couple who were arrested in December 2015 have been languishing in the custody of State Security Service, before being transferred to Kaduna Correctional facility in early December 2019, with life threatening injuries and health complications.

It would be recalled that in July 2019 the couple were granted bail to urgently travel to India in order to attend to their failing health. Unfortunately, this was deliberately frustrated by security agents which resulted in the couple prematurely aborting the trip without receiving medical attention. Now that the couple are acquitted of all charges filed against them by the Kaduna State government, justice demands that they should be allowed to attend to their health wherever they choose to go, without undue frustrations. But on the contrary, since their aborted medical trip, the couple’s passports and other documents that will allow them to travel are reportedly withheld by security agents.

In an exclusive interview with Press TV on 29th September, the Sheikh pointed out that an attempt to procure new one proved abortive as the couple were told ‘passport flagging order’ was placed on them- meaning they would not be able to leave the country.

It is a public knowledge that Nigeria’s health care is under equipped, with inadequate manpower. Many doctors, after carefully reviewing the couple’s health conditions, have advised that they would best be treated outside the country. The Sheikh and his wife have suffered enough, not allowing them to travel at the moment is tantamount to rubbing salt in their wounds.

Najeeb Maigatari, Jigawa State, Maigatari313@gmail.com