After four years under lock and key, the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, (IMN) Sheik Ibraheem EL-Zakzaky has been set free. He regained his freedom today; (Wednesday) July 28, 2021 by a Kaduna State High Court presided over by Justice Justice Gideon Kurada.
NTA report said the ruling lasted for over eight hours, adding that the presiding judge, Justice Kurada upheld the no-case submission filed by Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky and his wife in an alleged culpable homicide, unlawful assembly and disruption of public peace leveled against them by the Kaduna State government.
The judge in his ruling held that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against the defendants who have been standing trial for four years on an eight-count charge of alleged culpable homicide, disruption of public peace and unlawful assembly among others leveled against them by the Kaduna State Government.
The defendants were brought to court on Wednesday morning by officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service amidst tight security, even as their lead counsel and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Femi Falana, had on July 1, argued that all the 15 witnesses presented by the prosecution counsel were unable to establish any connection between the alleged crimes and Sheikh El-Zakzaky and his wife
However, Ibrahim Musa, who heads the Media Forum of the Islamic Movement In Nigeria, in a swift reaction through a press statement on Wednesday, stated that the Kaduna State High Court presided by Justice Gideon Kurada delivered a favourable judgment in the “no case submission” filed by the defense lawyers on the case brought against their leader.
He explained that their leader, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky and his wife, Malama Zeenah Ibrahim, who were standing trial for sundry trumped up charges, including that of aiding and abetting culpable homicide punishable by death, have been vindicated at last.
“With this victory in court today, the false charges filed against them has finally been punctured for good after almost five years of excruciating illegal detention.
His word, “This judgment has not only vindicated them and all members of the Islamic movement in Nigeria, but it is certainly a victory for perseverance in the face of extreme persecution by the Nigerian government.
“It is a victory for truth and justice against tyranny and impunity.
“It will be recalled that the Kaduna state government filed charges against Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife as an afterthought a year and a half after a federal high court in Abuja had ruled that their continued detention was unconstitutional, illegal and a severe breach their fundamental rights and thereby must be set free and compensated.
“The government however remained in contempt until they decided to frame these spurious false charges in an attempt to perpetually keep them in their illegal custody.
“We give praises to the Almighty for yet another successful outing, which further proves to the world that the Islamic Movement and its leader, are only victims of impunity and mischievous plots by both the Buhari-led federal government and the El-Rufai-led Kaduna State government.
“Since both governments have again failed in court after a fair trial, we expect them to respect the judgement of this honourable court and the course of justice to release them with immediate effect. The statement reads.
Uche Nwosu is a two time Shell Petroleum PLC award winner in the year 2000;
He won the Shell Award on Investigative Journalism and Environmental Cleanliness.
