Shiites want rule of law to prevail on Zakzaky

Shiites under the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) have observed the failure of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to release it’s leader Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky and his wife Zeenat four years after an Abuja high court ordered their release.

The Shiite described the detention of their leader as one of the worst violations of the rule of law and a monumental abuse of the rights of the couple.

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Chairman of the Resource Forum of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Professor Abdullahi Danladi while addressing a press conference on Saturday in Kaduna said, “Today marks the 4th anniversary of the expiration of the 45 days caveat within which Buhari-led federal government had been ordered to release their leader Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky in a historic judgement delivered by Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court.

“Failure to obey that judgement by President Muhammadu Buhari four years on, and counting, makes it one of the worst violations of the rule of law and a monumental abuse of the rights of the couple.

He recalled that while delivering the judgment, the Presiding Judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole held that the continued detention of El-Zakzaky and his wife by state instrumentality was an arbitrary act.

“The judge had warned the government in that judgement that holding the Sheikh for so long amounted to great danger, insisting that If the applicant dies in custody, which I do not pray for, it could result in many needless deaths.”

“However, Buhari has stubbornly kept deaf ears to that and contemptuously continued to detain them. Instead of releasing them, Buhari opted to file bogus charges against the Sheikh and his wife through Kaduna State government.”

“Failure to obey court orders by the government is an open invitation to anarchy as observed by a Professor of Law, and this is at variance with the democratic principles it claims to be running.

Professor Danladi reiterated IMN’s resolve to continue to demand for the unconditional release of the Sheikh and his wife irrespective of the government’s use of brutal force against them.