Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria also known as Shi’ites on Friday threatened to resume street protests over the Federal Government’s refusal to release the International Passports of their leader, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, and his wife, Zeenat.
The Shi’ites, who gave the warning in a statement signed by Secretary of the sect’s Academic Forum, Abdullahi Musa, stated that the couple’s health had continued to degenerate.
He noted the their inability to access medical treatment abroad since their acquittal and unconditional discharge by the Kaduna State High Court in July 2021 has rendered Hajiya Zeenat to be wheelchair bound.
Musa explained that the protest would be a platform to express their grievances, stressing that the latest medical report of El-Zakzaky and his wife indicated that they are suffering from multiple morbidities of great concern.
He said, “Up to this moment, Sheikh El-Zakzaky and his wife are suffering from many injuries in their respective bodies, and resultant multiple life-threatening health challenges, particularly those triggered by numerous bullets shrapnel and fragments, secreting poisons like lead and cadmium into their blood.
“There are fragments of bullets around the Sheikh’s head and neck. Yes, around the head, from the cheek up to the head, fragments in his hands, on his thigh. He is living with some amount of those poisons in his body, including the fragments of bullets.
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“The Sheikh’s wife still has one complete bullet in her body, which found a place in her pelvis. She’s also suffering from severe degenerative bilateral osteoarthritis of the knees which has rendered her completely wheelchair bound for the past 4 years and requiring total knee replacement surgeries
“Physicians have said they could not handle their cases here in Nigeria, and recommended that the Sheikh and his wife leave the country for medication in a medical facility with not only qualified medical personnel but also up-to-date equipment.
“Therefore, denying the Sheikh and his wife access to their necessary travel documents, after their unconditional discharge and acquittal by the court, is nothing but trampling on their right to life, to say the least. This is enough a reason to conclude that their freedom is still on the periphery, and hence a total violation of their fundamental rights to life.
“We want to let the public know what the situation is, because in the near future, if their international passports are not released, we may decide to return to the streets for protests.”
