Some members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) have called for the release of the travelling documents of their leader, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky and his wife, Malama Zeenatuddin Ibrahim.
Prof. Shehu Ahmad Maigandi, a senior member of the group, while addressing newsmen in Abuja on Saturday, also called for the unconditional release of its brothers in “various detention facilities illegally without trial.”
He specifically drew the attention of the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the grave human rights violations against Sheikh Ibraheem Ya’qoub El-Zakzaky, his family, and followers by the previous governments of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari.
Maigandi said, “The public may recall that on March 16, 2013, during Jonathan’s regime, the operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) arrested our brother Malam Haruna Abbas at Aminu Kano International Airport upon his return from a foreign trip. Two other brothers: Ibrahim Hussaini; and Adamu Suleiman were also arrested at their respective residences.”
He alleged that 10 years on, the three brothers have been under detention unjustly and in violation of their fundamental human rights as citizens of Nigeria, stressing that similarly, on November 18, 2015, the police arrested Hassan Muhammad at his residence in Maigana Town, Kaduna State, and since then, Malam Hassan has been under illegal detention.
According to him, the medical reports of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky and his wife, Malama Zeenah Ibraheem, submitted to the Kaduna State High Court in 2019 through their counsel, Femi Falana, SAN, led to the favourable court judgement on the couple’s medical leave to India, saying that the court admits that the health situation of the couple requires not only qualified medical professionals but also a state-of-the-art medical facility with up-to-date equipment.
During the medical trip to India, he explained that the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and Department of State Services (DSS) confiscated the couple’s travel documents, pointing out that the seizure of the passports was done illegally because medical leave granted by the Kaduna State High Court did not require the security agents to confiscate their travel documents as it is obvious that the government is bending the laws to pursue an unjust cause.
He stated that in view of the foregoing, the group demanded the unconditional release of Malam Haruna Abbas, Malam Ibrahim Hussaini, and Malam Adamu Suleiman, who have been in questionable detention since 2013.
He added that the group also demanded the prosecution of perpetrators of the killing of three biological sons of Sheikh Zakzaky and thirty-one (31) others on July 25, 2014 and the unconditional release of Malam Hassan Muhammad and other brothers being detained in various detention facilities illegally without trial.
The group asked for the investigation and prosecution of the mastermind and executors of the Zaria massacre in accordance with the provisions of the Nigerian laws and relevant International conventions, as well as the unconditional release of protesters Ibrahim Khalid and 49 others who have been detained since July 22, 2019; and the removal of the travel ban on Zakzaky and his wife.
