A Kaduna High Court Monday, granted Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) leader, Sheikh Ibrahim el-Zakzaky, and his wife, Zeenat Ibrahim, permission to travel to India for urgent treatment.
El-Zakzaky and his wife have been in detention since December 2015 following a bloody clash between IMN and the Nigerian Army in Zaria. However, due to injuries they allegedly sustained in the fracas, their counsel had to apply that they be allowed to travel to India for urgent medical attention.
The case was previously adjourned till Monday for ruling. Justice Darius Khobo in his ruling granted the duo’s request permitting them to travel to India for medical care with supervision and to immediately return back home after the treatment to continue the substantive suit filed against them by the Kaduna state government.
Speaking after the ruling, counsel to the Kaduna state government, Bayero Dari, said that, “the context of the court ruling is that Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife are granted leave to travel out for urgent medical attention. The court looked through the medical reports filed and believed Malam is indeed in dire need of medical attention.
“This is not a bail, but a leave to travel. He specifically choose to go to the hospital in India. Once he is discharged by the hospital he is referred to and he returns to the country, his trial will resume.
“The court has ruled and we are bound by the ruling. We will go and sit down and study the ruling and explore whether there is need for us to counter appeal. We have a month to go through that,” the prosecutor said.
Counsel to el-Zakzaky, Marshal Abubakar, recalled that before June 29th, their lead counsel, Femi Falana, was in the court before Justice Darius Khobo to move the application for el-Zakzaky and his wife to be granted leave to seek urgent medical attention in India.
“Subsequently from that, the application was adjourned till today (Monday). It’s not a bail application; it was an application to save the life of the applicants, el-Zakzaky and his wife.
“The ruling came up today and Justice Darius graciously agreed with Mr Femi Falana and the various medical reports that were attached to the applications. There were eight medical reports that clearly show that the applicants are in dire need of medical treatment abroad.”
