Fayose hails judgement releasing Shi’ite leader, El-Zakzaky

Ekiti State governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has hailed the Federal High Court, Abuja judgement, ordering the release of the leader of the Shi’ite Muslim sect, Ibrahim Zakzaky and his wife, as well as payment of payment of N50 million damages awarded against the Department of State Service (DSS).

The governor, who had called for the release of El-Zakzaky two weeks ago, however said he would not be surprised if the Federal Government does not obey the judgment, adding that, “The judgement will be for posterity, even if in their usual style of impunity, those holding power in Abuja ignore the judgment.”

He called on the judiciary to “save democracy in Nigeria as well as Nigerians from tyranny by being courageous and firm, even in the face of intimidation, harassment, blackmail and character assassination by those whose desire is to muscle opposition and turn Nigeria to as one party state.”

In a statement issued on Friday, by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose restated his earlier call on the International Criminal Court (ICC), Amnesty International and other world bodies to investigate extra judicial killings in the country in the last 15 months, especially the alleged murder of over 300 Shi’ite Muslims in Zaria and killing of over 150 Biafra activists.

He said under international human rights law governing the use of firearms during policing operations, the intentional use of lethal force was only permitted when strictly unavoidable, to protect life.

Governor Fayose noted that the detention, since last year December, of  El-Sakzaky, after the alleged killing of his followers was inhuman and wicked.