The family of the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky has said that they have been exploited and extorted in millions because they want to keep the Sheikh alive.

Badamasi Ya’akub, the younger brother to the detained Islamic leader addressing the press on behalf of the family in Abuja, said before they get medical supplies across to the El-Zakzaky, they would have to pay some ransom.

This revelation came after the DSS in a statement, said they decided to keep the Sheikh and other who the court had granted bail in their detention facility because they (detainees) prefer their (DSS) detention centre to Correctional facility.

The DSS also said the detainees were allowed to have access to television, newspapers gymnasium, telephone and medical facilities.

Reacting to this, Ya’akub said “last Friday the 15th of November, another statement was released by a public relations officer of the State Security Service in which justifications were offered for the continued illegal detention of what they referred to as notable Nigerians.

“With the names of Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, Colonel Sambo Dasuki and Omoyele Sowore were specifically mentioned.

“The claim is that the SSS runs what can be best described as 5 star level of accommodations of international standards, for its illegally detained detainees; at the detainee’s explicit request.

“Detention centres that are preferable to all forms of correctional centres; designed to host alleged criminals. According to them, these imprisoned individuals have food and water provided by their families. Gymnasium facilities to exercise with and keep in shape.

“The facilities provide access to people and phones for communication, daily newspapers and television to remain up to date, and pristine and prompt medical facilities to ensure standard healthcare and welfare in accordance with international standards. All these luxuries are of a matter of course at the Service’s expense; which is to say at Nigerian’s expense.

“This is yet another in a long line of outlandish claims made by the ‘Service’ to justify its documented role as enforcers of law-breaking in the service of this lawless administration, led by President Muhammadu Buhari”.

He, therefore, said since their return from the aborted Indian medical trip with the Sheikh, there had been no phone contact with him, neither did he receive any daily Newspapers.

He said before El-Zakzaky gets medical supplies from his family, they (family) would pay some money.

“No phone contact has been had with Sheikh Zakzaky since their return from the aborted medical trip in India. Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky receives no daily newspapers of any kind at any time regularly or irregularly.

“With Certainty, I can say that the last time he saw a functional Television screen was in his house in December 2015 before it was attacked and demolished by the 1st division of the Nigerian Army. As for the gymnasium and other 5-star level amenities mentioned by the ‘Service’. All if any are paid for by El-Zakzaky himself.

“We have been extorted and exploited to keep our flesh and blood as safe as much as we can. But the straight truth is that they can’t read newspapers, they have no access to TV, it takes mountains of hurdles for us to see them, and we pay a ransom worth of money to just send medical supplies through.

“Critically there is no phone. Every time an arm of the administration claims to have spent a certain amount; it is more than over thrice what we have spent.

“We will be readying some LCD TVs, subscribing to Daily Newspapers deliveries, Phone handsets with multiple SIM slots, SSS family request service and refund programs, so the millions extorted can be proven to have not been spent in vain”, he added. (Nigerian Tribune)

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