The Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) has described the
judgement of the Kaduna state high court freeing Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, its leader
and his wife, Zeenat, as a victory against tyranny and impunity.
El-Zakzaky and Zeenat were freed on Wednesday after Gideon
Kurada, the presiding judge, ruled on a no-case submission filed by Femi
Falana, their lawyer.
The judge held that the Kaduna state government failed to
establish a prima facie case against the defendants.
El-Zakzaky and his wife were arraigned on an eight-count
charge bordering on alleged culpable homicide, unlawful assembly, disruption of
public peace, among others.
The defendants had pleaded not guilty to the charges
preferred against them.
The duo had been in detention since December 2015 following
clashes between IMN members and soldiers in Zaria, Kaduna state.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Ibrahim Musa, spokesperson for IMN, said the judgement has vindicated all members of the group.
Musa said the victory is “perseverance in the face of
extreme persecution by the Nigerian government”.
“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,” the statement reads.
“This judgement 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 of 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, therefore, 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.”
IMN asked the federal government to respect the judgement of
the court and release El-Zakzaky and his wife with immediate effect.
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