El-Zakzaky: Kaduna court to rule on bail application August 5

The Kaduna State High Court will rule on the bail application filed by the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, and his wife, Zinat, on August 5, 2019.

The two were arrested in Kaduna in 2015 after soldiers killed over 300 members of the IMN for allegedly throwing stones at the convoy of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Tukur Buratai, an act declared by the Army to be an assassination attempt.

Corporal Yakubu Dankaduna, a soldier, was allegedly killed by IMN members when he alighted from Buratai's convoy to disperse the group's procession during the confrontation.

In May 2018, El-Zakzaky and Zinat were eventually arraigned before the Kaduna High Court and charged with unlawful gathering, criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide, and denied bail by the court months later in November.

In the fresh application filed on July 18, the defendants have asked to be allowed to travel to India for medical attention following their failing health conditions.

During resumed hearing on Monday, July 29, both were not in court because of their terrible conditions, according to Femi Falana (SAN), their counsel. Falana said both defendants are getting worse and require foreign treatment.

Daris Bayero, the prosecuting counsel, objected to the bail application, insisting there are adequate medical facilities in the country to attend to the defendants.

Justice Darius Khobo then scheduled the ruling on the application for Monday, August 5.

While addressing the press after the ruling, Falana said not less than eight medical reports from local and foreign doctors agree that the El-Zakzakys require urgent medical attention "which is not locally available".

El-Zakzaky's continued detention has led to allegations of persecution by members of his sect who have taken to the streets several times in protest, leading to clashes with security agencies that have left dozens dead and hundreds incarcerated over the past year.

Last week, the Federal Government secured a court order to proscribe the group's activities and brand it a terrorist organisation.