Pars Today

There is hardly any news about the condition and whereabouts of the Leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) ever since his abrupt return to his country from an Indian hospital three months ago and his whisking away by the Nigerian security forces to an undisclosed destination.

Stay with us for an article that appeared in Nigeria’s English daily ‘The Globe’, written by Najeeb Maigatari and titled: “The Deafening Silence on Sheikh Zakzaky”.

Since the aborted medical trip to India of Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky and his wife Malama Zeenah three months ago, nothing has been heard of the duo. No word from the government- or any other relevant authority, regarding the ailing couple’s whereabouts and health condition.

The events that surrounded the trip were quite unfortunate and, in truth, avoidable. As per the international justice system an accused is considered not guilty until proven otherwise, but the opposite is being done in Nigeria, especially in the case of the IMN Leader. Here I will remind the public that Sheikh Zakzaky is still not found guilty of not a single crime by any court of law, even as he stands trial. So is his wife Malama Zeenah!

It is pertinent to remind the public of the fact that Sheikh Zakzaky is still suffering from the many health complications he has earlier been diagnosed with, so is his wife Zeenah; many of which are life threatening. The truth is that the duo still requires immediate medical attention.

Recently, Sheikh Zakzaky’s family have expressed concern about the government covering up the exact health condition of the venerable Sheikh and his wife since their unfortunate trip to New Delhi and abrupt return home in a few days in August. Hitherto, they were denied access to the Sheikh, whose health condition and that of his wife has reportedly deteriorated from bad to worse over the past few days.

Notwithstanding the deteriorating health condition of the Sheikh and his wife, the authorities also deny the duo access to their personal physicians here at home and even their lawyers. This, as we are all aware, is not just a violation of their fundamental right as citizens of the state but also serve as a litmus to understanding how unfairly the DSS has been treating the Sheikh and his wife since their detention.

Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife have been in detention since December 2015 following Nigerian military’s raid on his residence in Zaria, where three of his biological children were gunned down and over a thousand of his followers killed, while celebrating the blessed birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny). It could also be recalled that a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had, on December 2016, ordered the release of the Sheikh and his wife which the Nigerian government has failed to comply with till date.

The general public should stand witness to the fact that the followers of the Sheikh have even temporarily suspended their daily street protests as a sign of good faith for peace, following calls from various peace loving, respectful individuals. On this regard, the government should be thoughtful enough to live up to expectations to avoid a return to street protests with stronger momentum which is not in the interest of the country.

The authorities should do the needful by allowing Sheikh Zakzaky’s family to, at the very least, have access to their beloved patriarch, know of their health conditions as well as provide moral support as is required of every patient; before another avoidable round of protests rock the streets of Abuja and other cities across the country. Sheikh Zakzaky’s right to treatment, even as he stands trial, should be respected. But even more, the Sheikh alongside his wife should be allowed to attend to their health.

The regime of President Muhamadu Buhari is clearly violating the national constitution by holding the IMN Leader as well as other prominent figures such as the Christian leaders Omoyele Sowore and Olawale Bakare, in detention by flagrant disobedience of the Federal court’s verdict.

This has led to protests and sporadic clashes with the security forces, which had used brutal force to disperse the peaceful demonstrators, killing and wounding scores of them, especially Nigeria’s Shi’a Muslims.

Many ordinary people, including journalists who covered the event, have targeted by the security forces and injured.

A democratic society gradually drifts towards dictatorship when the system to ensure that the law is not upheld and targets the peace and security of citizens. This is being done in Nigeria ever since the election of Buhari, the former military general and coup leader, five years ago. He seems to be re-imposing his military era notoriety through intolerance and assaulting of democratic values on multiple fronts, especially freedom of expression and the rule of law. His contemptuous attitude towards the judicial arm of government is especially disconcerting.  There appears to be a creeping fascist tendency that is capable of shrinking the democratic space.

These are brazen acts of impunity that has also kept many other Nigerians in solitary confinement illegally for years, to the detriment of their health, personal wellbeing and those of their family members. The victims, besides IMN Leader Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky and his wife Zeenah, include a former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki. According to Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, there are 40 other Nigerians unlawfully being detained by the Nigerian Navy. These citizens’ human rights being breached by the government are a clear violation of the 1999 Constitution, which Buhari swore to uphold.

Within and outside the country’s shores, concerns are being expressed. As the Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, put it, “the weaponry of lies” having exploded in their faces, through a policy of government violence.

Soyinka excoriated the government and its agencies for their anti-democratic posture, stressing that they had crossed “even the most permissive threshold.”

The playwright said: “Such a development is not only callous and inhuman, it is criminal. It escalates an already untenable defiance by the state.”

Buhari’s penchant for riding roughshod over basic freedoms has yielded fatal encounters between protesters and security agencies on the streets of Abuja, Zaria and Lagos. These are avoidable deaths. Hundreds of Sheikh Zakzaky’s followers are languishing in prison.

In any democracy, it is the law which rules. World Justice Project says the principles of the rule of law are anchored on accountability, just laws, open government and accessible/impartial dispute resolution. Sadly, the Buhari regime, which seemingly takes orders from Saudi Arabia and the Zionist regime of Israel, is brutally suppressing the civil liberties and freedom of its own citizens.

Buhari should, therefore, not be allowed to take Nigeria back or bestraddle the polity with the fangs of a dictator as he did in 1984/85 when he was a military head of state. Protest or the right of dissent is fundamental to democratic governance; it should not be abridged.

AS/SS