The Save Lagos Group has demanded the immediate release of the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky from police custody.

This is just as the group in a statement issued on Wednesday wrote that the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), pay El-Zakzaky huge sums as compensation over his continued detention, which it declared as an infringement of his fundamental human rights.

Failure to do this, the group has vowed to sue the police force, the federal and Kaduna State governments after a seven-day ultimatum to enforce the fundamental rights of the detainees.

In a statement, the Convener of the Save Lagos Group, Comrade Adeniyi A. Sulaiman, and Director of Media and Strategy, Comrade Olaolu Oladipo also canvassed the implementation of the contents of the Commission of Enquiry which indicted personnel of the Nigerian Army for the December 12 and 14 clashes between members of the sect and the Army.

The statement quoted Section 35 subsections 4 and 5 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which states that “Any person who is arrested or detained in accordance with subsection 1C of this section shall be brought before a court of law within a reasonable time.”

It added that subsection 5 states that “A reasonable time means therefore, (a) in the case of an arrest or detention in any place where there is a court of competent jurisdiction within a radius of 40 kilometres and a period of one day.”

According to the Save Lagos Group, “Flowing from the above, it is crystal clear that the force has acted outside of the law by the continued detention of El-Zakzaky and his followers.

“We (members of the Save Lagos Group) are calling on the Inspector-General of Nigerian Police Force, Ibrahim Idris to release El-Zakzaky and some members of the sect who are currently languishing in police cells across the country with immediate effect. Our position is premised on the fact that his fundamental human rights have been infringed upon by his continued incarceration.

“We are also calling for adequate compensation to El-Zakzaky and his members for the incalculable loss they have suffered materially, physically and emotionally. We are even more concerned with the information making the rounds regarding his fast deteriorating health, which we believe has taken a turn for the worse in recent times,” the statement stated.

Save Lagos Group is also calling for the implementation of the reports of the commission of Enquiry set up by the Kaduna State Government into the clash that claimed the lives of over 400 members of the sect.

“We are also using the opportunity provided this platform to call on the Federal Government to expedite action on the prosecution of indicted members of the Nigerian Army who have been found culpable in the gruesome killings of members of the sect at their Zaria base last December.

“Anywhere in the world, this is least irreducible minimum standard for any nation aspiring to be deemed civilised and Nigeria can never be an exception to the norm,” the statement read.

•Photo shows detained El-Zakzaky.

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