By; JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
Following an application by the legal team representing Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky headed by Femi Falana SAN, seeking the court to grant permission for him to be taken abroad for treatment following a serious deteriorating health condition, the court stated that it will decide that on Monday 5 August, 2019.
This was declared by the presiding judge, Justice Darius sequel to presentations made by both parties on the application before the him.
Challenging the application, Barrister Bayero Dari, heading the Kaduna State prosecuting team, demanded the court not to grant permission for the treatment of the leader of the Islamic Movement abroad as there are well equipped hospitals that could treat the Sheikh in Nigeria.
He expressed the fears of the government in allowing the Sheikh to leave the country saying he might evade justice by refusing to return to continue the case.
Challenging Dari, Falana SAN stated that in the past he had demanded the DSS to allow the Sheikh to be flown out for treatment of one of his eyes but they refused and resorted to local treatment and he lost an eye and is gradually loosing the second one.
He explained that there was no law in the country that bans any Nigerian, including the president, from seeking medical treatment abroad. Even leading government figures all go to seek treatment abroad due to the lack of medical facilities in the country.
He cited the case of FGN vs Dariye 2015, where the court allowed Dariye to seek treatment abroad. The intention is to treat the accused and his wife abroad and come back and continue the case and not to release him on bail he said. He called on the court to allow him to go even on conditions that will guaranty his return to continue the case.
He therefore, called on the court to consider the serious deteriorating health condition of the Sheikh in its decision lest he dies in detention which will stall the entire case.
