It is no longer news that Zeenah Ibraheem, wife of the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, IMN, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, tested positive for coronavirus a couple days ago. This was contained in a statement by the only surviving son of the Sheikh, Mohammed Zakzaky.
Mohammed said despite his mother testing positive for the pandemic, efforts to have medical doctors ascertain the severity of the infection at the correctional facility were frustrated.
It is worrisome that Malama Zeenah, a 59-year-old mother of nine, according to her personal physician, is already suffering from hyperlipidemia among other health conditions, which the World Health Organization (WHO) says is a potential risk factor for severe Covid-19 complications.
This has therefore made it pertinent, as a matter of urgency, that Zeenah El-Zakzaky be allowed access to the required medical attention every Covid-19 positive patient is entitled to, so as to avert a looming crisis. It is worth noting for those at high risk of complications, that there is slim or no chance of coming back from a certain stage in the course of the disease, if proper care is not instituted early.
There is no denying the fact that Kaduna state has established itself as one of the best amongst other sister states in the North, in terms of efficiently combating and containing this deadly pandemic. The rapidity with which task force and other public enlightenment teams were timely mobilized in the state is highly commendable.
In addition, the proactiveness with which people were traced, tested and isolated is also hailed by medical experts. In view of this, the case of Zeenah El-Zakzaky should not be any different, she should immediately be taken to a well equipped isolation center specially designed to offer the best medical care there is for such patients, and her husband be frequently monitored as he quarantines himself for being a primary contact to the victim.
Even more important is that, by so doing, the state government will avert an outbreak in the correctional facility, which if, God forbids, it happens, would be disastrous. It is, in fact, the last thing the government would want at a time when the country is faced with second wave of the pandemic, which is by far more infectious. It, therefore, should not allow several months of a job well done become futile overnight.
This is exactly why as part of the measure to contain the coronavirus pandemic, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Tanko Muhammad, had sometime last year directed all the chief judges (at federal and state high courts) to take urgent steps towards the decongestion of correctional facilities nationwide.
It is surprising, however, that Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenah Ibraheem, although both belong to the high risk category and therefore met the stipulated criteria, were unfortunately not amongst those pardoned at the time. Were the duo included (in the pardon), this would not have happened.
Since their illegal detention in 2015 the couple were on several occasions denied access to proper medical attention as a result of which their health conditions have continued to deteriorate from bad by the day.
Zeenah El-Zakzaky, whose six sons were killed extrajudicially by the Nigerian Army in the space of less than 18 months, who has suffered from osteoarthritis, owing to inadequate medical care, to a point that she reportedly has to be confined to wheelchair, is an oppressed citizen whose continued detention against a valid court order from a Federal High Court, is illegal and unconstitutional.
If the Kaduna state government truly bears no grudge against Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife as several people opined, and more importantly owing to its unmatched seriousness about combating the pandemic, it will be in the best interest of all to not allow a Covid-19 positive patient, Zeenah El-Zakzaky in this regard, in a facility as dilapidated as Kaduna Central Prison. It will simply be a mistake, a kind of which its fatal consequence will be unwise to not ward off beforehand.
A stitch in time, they say, saves nine. And, certainly, a word is enough for the wise.
Maigatari writes from Dutse, Jigawa so via [email protected]
