Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, IMN, on Tuesday marched to the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, headquarters in Abuja in protest of the continued detention of their leader, Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, his wife and other members of the group.
Hundreds of the Shiites Islamic sect, under the aegis of Academic Forum of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, AFIMN, participated in the protest,urging President Muhammadu Buhari to show respect for the rule of law and redeem the country’s international image.
Recall that Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the federal high court, Abuja, had on December 2, 2016 awarded the sum of N50 million damages to El-Zakzaky, while ordering the Attorney General of the Federation to provide the Muslim cleric a new accommodation in any part of Kaduna or Northern Nigeria that they prefer within 45 days.The 45-day deadline expired on Monday, January 16.
Secretary of AFIMN, Abdullahi Musa, who addressed the protesters said that the federal government was becoming “more brutally totalitarian”.He called on the human rights commission to intervene in the matter.
“The continued detention of Sheik Zakzaky even after the court has ordered for him to be freed is quite illegal and unconstitutional and severely infringes on and tramples upon his fundamental human rights as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended as well as the provisions of the African Charter on human rights,” Musa said.
In her response, the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Oti Ovrawah commended the protesters for conducting themselves in a peaceful manner,assuring them that the commission would take the matter up with the authorities.
“We appeal to you to continue to be peaceful in your agitations. It is within your right to protest. We have received your complaints and we will pass it across to the authorities,” she said.
El-Zakzaky and his wife have remained in the custody of the Department of State Services, DSS, since the December 2015 clash between members of the IMN and some Nigerian soldiers.