Counsel to the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, IMN, Barrister Festus Okoye has petitioned the Federal High Court in Abuja demanding for 2 billion naira as compensation for general damages for the illegal violation of the group leader’s fundamental rights to life, dignity of his person, fair hearing, privacy and private property.

The counsel also demanded for immediate release of the leader Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaki who has been in detention since December 2015.

Addressing newsmen in Kaduna yesterday, Barrister Okoye said the leader of the Movement now walks with a limp, adding that his left eye was completely damaged.

He explained that the left hand of the leader of the movement has lost its functions.

According to Barrister Okoye, “The continued detention of the Islamic leader from 14th day of December, 2015 till date without charging him to court before a properly constituted court of law is illegal and unconstitutional as it violates his fundamental human rights to fair hearing as enshrined in section 36 (5) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and article 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act (CAP A10) laws of the federation of Nigeria 2004.

“That the arrest of the leader of the movement on 14th day of December, 2015 and his detention till date without access to his medical doctor is unconstitutional as it violates his fundamental rights to personal liberty and health as enshrined in section 35 of the constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, (as amended) and articles 6 and 22 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act (CAP A10) LAWS of the federation of Nigeria, 2004.”

The activist lawyer expressed dismay with the extra judicial killing of the leader’s three children by the armed soldiers, adding that the arrest of El-Zakzaky without warrant in his home at No. 1 Wali road, Gyallesu, Zaria by armed soldiers was a flagrant violation of his fundamental rights to privacy and private property guaranteed by section 35 (1) (4) (6) of the constitution of Nigeria.

On the Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by the Kaduna state government, Okoye said the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria expressed his reservations about the Movement putting his appearance before the commission of inquiry particularly considering the composition of the commission and the fact that the Nigerian army is a federal institution that is not subject to the control of the Kaduna state government and its agencies.

He said: “During our conference with the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, we notified him of the fact that that Kaduna State government has set up a judicial commission of inquiry to look into the remote and immediate causes of the Army/Shiite clash and also of the fact that scores of members of the movement lost their lives during the clash while over 200 of them are in prison custody on allegations of attempted murder of the Chief of Army Staff.

“He instructed us to challenge the composition of the commission and its impartiality in court and also instructed that we file an application to enforce his fundamental rights which we agreed has been and are still being infringed upon by his continued detention without trial and without his having been informed of the basis upon which he was being detained.”

•Adapted from a Peoples Daily report. Photo shows Sheikh El-Zakzaky on the day of his arrest by soldiers in December 2015.

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