The Islamic Movement in Nigeria, IMN, has described the ruling of the Kaduna High court, granting its leader, Ibraheem El-zakzaky and wife their request to proceed on medical travel to India as victory for truth and justice against tyranny and impunity.
The Department of State Services, DSS, on Monday confirmed the release of El-Zakzaky and his wife, following the court order.
In a statement signed by the Chairman, Free El-Zakzaky Campaign Committee, Abdurrahman Yola, the group said the ruling by the court represented “victory for our dogged determination, patience, and perseverance in the face of extreme persecution.”
The statement read in part: ‘’With this recent ruling by the court today (yesterday), we will finalise urgent plans to transfer them to a more appropriate foreign health facility for further expert management as we await the response of the Nigerian government.
‘’We expect them to act urgently to respect the Nigerian constitution and the ruling of this honourable court to grant the duo instant permit to travel for their treatment.
“As a peaceful movement, we have kept to our clean tradition of keeping faith with due process in seeking redress through peaceful means without any resort to violence, despite deliberate and persistent provocations by the government.
“We wish to use this opportunity to also say a big thank you to all people of conscience, particularly some very senior citizens, diplomats, human rights activists and organizations, journalists and the general public who doggedly stood by us in the campaign for justice for the victims of Zaria genocide.”
The Public Relations Officer of DSS, Dr. Peter Afunanya, had confirmed the released in brief statement in Abuja, last night.
El-Zakzaky and his wife who were not in court, have been in detention since 2015, following a bloody clash between members of IMN and the military that left scores of his members dead.
Protests organised by his members to pressure government to release him recently turned bloody, with scores of his members as well as senior police office and a reporter with Channels Television killed.
Government obtained a court order, which designated the IMN as a terrorist organisation and banned its operations. At the resumed hearing of the bail application filed by El-Zakzaky’s counsel, Femi Falana, in Kaduna, yesterday, the presiding judge, Justice Dairus Khobo, granted the defence counsel’s request for the defendants to proceed to India to seek medical attention.
