The leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky has said that the Nigerian government is still withholding his international passport and that of his wife despite being discharged by the court.
El-Zakzaky said his wife and him were supposed to seek medical attention abroad after their release following some critical health challenges they suffered from bullet injuries.
The Cleric who disclosed this in an interview with Press TV said while in detention, 38 bullets fragments were removed from his body, while his wife suffered from a gunshot on the stomach.
“On December 2, 2016, to be precise, a Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that our detention, my wife and myself, was illegal, that we should be released unconditionally, and that compensation should be paid to us and a house should also be given to us in a state of our choice in the northern part of the Country. That court ruling was not implemented.
“On 28th July, this year, 2021, we were discharged and acquitted, and we were exonerated from all the 8 charges against us. At the end of the day, it was found that none of us committed any offence, and then they were ordered to pay compensation, yet nothing happens. None at all.
“They know that we have health issues, but we were kept with these difficulties incarcerated for almost 6 years. But, by the grace of God, we survived it. Right now, both of us have fragments of bullets in our body; mine is a fragment; hers is a full bullet. Here [in Nigeria], they said they could not remove it, but our doctors, who came from outside the country, studied the situation and said they would be able to remove it.
“An order was given by the court of law, that we have the right to seek this medical assistance outside Nigeria.
“We were thinking that immediately we are out of the prison, it will not be a matter of days we will leave this country. When we came out, we were hoping to get our passports back. In fact, our lawyer, after they ruled that we were discharged, went and begged the presiding judge to give an order that our passports should be released to us because of our health problem…
“The judge said that there was no need for him to give any order because we have no charges. We have been discharged. He said it is like him giving orders to the prison to give us our property back. We are entitled to all our property. The court doesn’t have to give the order. When we came out we were thinking in a matter of weeks it will be okay for us. But, up till now, the passports have not reached our hand.
“At one time, the security operatives said they have lost the passports, and they are no longer in their hand. So, we took steps to make another one. But, at the end of the day, we were told that “passport flagging” has been placed on us; meaning that the two of us have no right to leave this country. We don’t know what for. At least, officially, they didn’t say it.
“So the matter has not come to an end. We are still being, in a way, incarcerated, because we are not allowed out of the country for no reason.”
While recalling the 2015 incident in Zaria, El-Zakzaky said “what happened in Zaria in 2015 was a pre-planned crackdown, even though they have no way to justify what they did except that they were so confused as to say that there was a blockage of the road. Even if there was any, my house was away from where they allegedly met the road was blocked; it was away by about three kilometres. A lot of people were Killed, students; teachers; traders; anybody.
“They burnt the house to ashes, and they were surprised that after killing hundreds of people and burning the house we were still alive—me, my wife, my children and some few brothers and sisters. We were still alive, and they opened fire on us. Three of my children were Killed before me. My wife and myself were wounded, terribly wounded. Only Allah knows the wisdom behind saving us…
We were shot severally, [such] shooting that a human being cannot survive it. They have battered my right side and battered my left hand. As you can see from the pictures, also, it affected my face and even my eye.
The pictures show that there are fragments of bullets around my head and neck. Around the head, from the cheek up to the head, they counted about 38 fragments. And, also, my wife has a gunshot on her stomach and her thigh.
They took us to their hospital and somehow removed some of the bullets without putting her under anaesthesia. It was later in another hospital that more bullets were removed, and she still has one complete bullet in her body, which found its place in her pelvis. And they said, at that time, they could not remove it.
“The bullets in my body scattered, so there were some fragments all over the body—there were fragments in my hands, on my thigh and my head. Up till now, these fragments have secret poisons like lead and cadmium. I am still living with some amount of those poisons in my body, including the fragments of bullets.
“It’s the Will of Allah that I’m still alive; because when they tested the level of lead in my body, at one time, it was about 244, which they said a normal human being should contain only 10, but I had 244 in my body. Well, that’s the will of God that I’m alive, anyway.”
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