By; AMOS TAUNA, Kaduna.
Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), has strongly appealed to those holding Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky hostage illegally in violation of his basic rights, to relesse him as a matter of urgency to enable him seek medical attention in any place of his choice.
“We call on all human right groups and right activists, well meaning citizens annd journalists, who are conscience of the nation, to join hands in demanding for justice for the Islamic Movement, its leadership and members who are currently languishing in Kaduna prison, and in particular all those still being kept captives by the military in various military and Department of Security Services detention facilities, whose health condition we do not even know. This must start from the immediate release of Sheikh Zakzaky,” according to a statement.
A statement issued and signed by Professor Abdullahi Dandali, a spokesman of the group said, “It has become increasingly clear that the Nigerian authorities are not too bothered about the survival of the health of the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Zakzaky.
“While they recently cynically told the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja that they are detaining him with his consent in protective custody and that they have spent close to five million naira on him, evidence glaringly point to the contrary. The Sheikh is being held and allowed to gradully loose his sight and die in detention.
“On a very rarely allowed visit by his immediate family members, the actual condition in which the Sheikh is being detained once again came to focus. What is obvious is that his health condition general and his sight in particular, is gradually but rapidly deteriorating. His only surviving son raised an alarm soon after only the fourth allowed visit by family members since the past eight months he is in detention without charges.
“In an open letter released last week, Sheikh ElZakzai’s son wrote that his sight continues to fail day to day, the DSS continues to refuse, under the guise of bureaucratic execuses, our request that a known qualified doctor be allowed to attend to him.
“Elaborating further in an interview, the younger brother of the Sheikh, who was in the team of family members that were allowed to visit, explained that Sheikh’s left eye is in dire need of specialized medical attention. He complained that surgery earlier done to the eye by DSS chosen doctor in an attempt to save his sight appears to have failed, and the doctor had confessed that he could no longer do anything else as he has reached the limits of his professional abilities.
“The doctor had reportedly also told the Sheikh that perhaps an intervention in a better equipped facility could save his sight. Additionally, the left arm where he sustained gunshot wounds is still demobilized and the wounds are yet to completely heal. There is no mention of how well controlled his elevated blood pressure for which he had been on medication prior to the attack eight months ago is.
“The Islamic Movement in Nigeria IMN, is deeply concerned about the health of our incarcerated leader and believe that it is in the interest of the Nigerian State and those holding him to release him unconditionally to enable him attend to his health.
“The Nigerian people and the international community know too well that our leader has not been accused of committing any crime and has not been charged or arraigned before any competent court of the land for the past eight months in clear violation of his fundamental human rights.”
Islamic Movement in Nigeria demands immediate release of Sheikh El-Zakzaky
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