Shiites Vow To Resume Protest, Demand El-Zakzaky’s Whereabouts

Followers of leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, have vowed to resume daily protests in the country as a result of the Nigerian Government frustrating his medical trip to India.

The group also condemned the way he was treated and whisked away by operatives of Department of State Services upon arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to an unknown destination on Friday.

In a statement signed by the President of the Media Forum of the movement, Ibrahim Musa, El-Zakzaky’s followers said that they would continue with protests to compel the government to comply with a Kaduna court directive ordering his release for medical attention abroad.

The statement said, “We vehemently condemn the way the security agents whisked him away upon arrival in Abuja without allowing the multitude of journalists that were waiting for him for hours to have a chat with him.

“We urge the security agency holding him hostage to declare to the public where they are keeping him.

“The interference of the government raised suspicion that it was planning to kill the Sheikh in India using its international connections.”

The sect noted that the Nigerian authorities had shown that they were not comfortable with the leave granted to its leader to seek medical treatment outside the country.

It added, “The Islamic Movement in Nigeria will, however, continue its struggle to ensure that our leader gets the appropriate medical treatment he deserves as ordered by the Kaduna High court.

“And as we continue with the struggle, we wish to reiterate our call for the Federal Government to comply with an earlier order by an Abuja court that has freed him since 2016.

“We believe obedience to this court order will finally solve the crisis that has been lingering since the Zaria genocide of December 2015.”