Court orders IGP, Attorney General to set Shiite leader free or be jailed

A federal high court sitting in Abuja has ordered the

On December 2, 2016, Justice Gabriel Kolawole had ordered Zakzaky's release.

Zakzaky and his wife Malama Zeenat Ibrahim, have been in DSS custody since December 2015 following an altercation between members of the Nigerian Army and the Islamic Movement of Nigeria in Zaria, Kaduna State.

The court had also ordered the DSS to pay the sum of N50M to Zakzaky and his wife as compensation.

Hundreds of Zakzaky's followers were killed after they mounted a roadblock that impeded the convoy carrying Nigeria's Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai.

The court has warned the aforementioned officials that failure to set Zakzaky free will amount to contempt of the judiciary.

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Some parts of the ruling reads as follows:

“Take notice that unless you obey the direction contained in the order of the Federal High Court of Justice Abuja, delivered on the 2nd December, 2016, which ordered you to release the Applicants in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/281/2016 and its sister case Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/282/2016 within forty (40) days, inter alia you will be guilty of contempt of court and will be liable to be committed to prison.

“This court has been informed that even as at today, Friday the 20th of January 2017, you are yet to comply with the lawful order of this honorable court by refusing to release the following persons namely: Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky and Malama Zeenat Ibrahim, in your custody. You are hereby directed to comply with the court order forthwith or you will be guilty of contempt of court.”

The federal government has in the past maintained that setting Zakzaky free will be too dangerous for the Nigerian State.

A fight broke out at the national assembly last week between Shiite members and the police.

The Shiites were voicing their disapproval over the continued detention of their leader, Zakzaky.