RELEASE OUR LEADER FOR MEDICATION
It has once again become necessary upon us to come out and demonstrate to the world the persecution and oppression our leader Shaikh Ibraheem Zakzaky is suffering in the hands of his tormentors, the Buhari Administration.
Recent reports emanating from where our leader is kept in custody suggest that he is fast losing his sight, and if he is not given the urgent and necessary medical attention he deserves in a competent medical facility, he might go blind anytime.
We shouldn’t be oblivious of the fact that it was soldiers of the Nigerian army that went to his residence in December, 2015, over a year ago and attack him and his followers, inflicting fatal gunshots on him. In fact had it not been Allah has shown his infinite mercy and unlimited power over life and death, the Sheikh attackers had not wanted him to survive the massacre they carried out.
In another clime where the rule of law held sway, it is evident that since our leader is not being prosecuted for any offense even after a year in custody, he should be release to go and tend to his health. However this government has demonstrated its disregard to all the calls coming from individuals, associations and envoys of various countries that the Sheikh be released.
Moreover our Leader has instituted a court case demanding the enforcement of his fundamental human rights, and after months of litigations, he won the case, where the federal high court ruled that he should be release, given a new house and compensation paid to him; but the present administration showed its penchant for contempt of court orders by not obeying the court ruling. This is a clear case of injustice with impunity.
We would like fellow citizens and people of conscience bear witness that this administration would be held responsible for anything bad that happen to our leader, something which we will not agree to.
And now news reports have indicated that instead of the federal government to execute the court order, it has now in contempt of the court agree to the demand of Kaduna state government that Sheikh Zakzaky be handed over to it for prosecution on trump up charges. The ploy this time around is for them to keep the Sheikh in perpetual detention hoping that their hope of his demise becomes a reality.
It is evident that since it is over a year now the government has failed to come up with even a trump up charge against this righteous Sheikh intent on correcting the ills of the society, then any charge that will be put forward against him is a mere ploy to delay justice taking its course, which is denial of justice in essence. Any attempt to prosecute him now must have a hidden agenda, which is to have him killed in detention.
We therefore declare before the world that we condemn in its entire ramification this new attempt to oppress our leader being employed by Kaduna state government. This measure it intends to take will not in any way bring the much needed peace this country deserves, it will instead plunge the country back to the inglorious rule of suppression.
The only language we understand for now is ‘FREE ZAKZAKY!’ This is the only path we believe if followed in honesty, it will lead to the resolution of the injustice we suffered in the hands of this administration where over a thousand souls were killed by the army and dumped in a mass grave. This is coming after our properties were destroyed with our religious centres desecrated since December, 2015 to date.
In conclusion we hereby reiterate our demand, which we will continue demanding, release the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibraheem Yaqoub Zakzaky, his wife and others in various detention centres known to us and unknown to us, immediately and unconditionally.
SIGNED BY
SHEIKH ABDULHAMID BELLO
HEAD OF SHUHADAU FOUNDAATION OF THE ISLAMIC MOVEMENT IN NIGERIA
25-02-17