Femi Falana Warns Buhari Over Illegal Detention Of Shiites Leader, El-Zakzaky

Femi Falana, human right lawyer and activist, has condemned the continued detention of Shiite leader, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, by the federal government.

Speaking with journalists on Tuesday he said; “This nation cannot afford another war of insurgency which is being provoked by the contemptuous conduct of the federal government in the handling of the case of the Elzakzakys,”

His words:

“The Shiites won the cases against the Federal Government as the courts upheld their fundamental rights to freedom of expression, association, and assembly. But out of sheer impunity, the army has killed about 50 Shiites at Abuja for protesting against the continued detention of El-Zakzaky and his wife.

“As the federal government could no longer justify the illegal detention of El-Zakzaky and his wife it directed the Kaduna state government to file a charge against them. Hence, they have been charged with culpable homicide at the Kaduna state high court for the death of the same soldier.

Read also; My Father May Die in Detention – El-Zakzaky’s Son

“Pending the trial, the team of local and international physicians who examined El-Zakzaky and his wife on the orders of the trial court confirmed that their health has deteriorated and recommended that they are allowed to travel abroad for urgent medical treatment. In particular, El-Zakzaky has lost an eye while he is the process of losing the other one.

“The wife can no longer walk as a result of the gun wounds inflicted on her during the military attack of December 2015. Without adducing any reason whatsoever the federal government has ignored the recommendation of the physicians.

“The Shiites are currently protesting the refusal of the Buhari regime to release El-Zakzaky and his wife from custody to enable them to travel abroad to receive urgent medical treatment at their own expense.

“El-Zakzaky must not be allowed to die due to medical neglect as it may provoke a crisis of monumental proportions. Therefore, the federal government should implement the unanimous resolution of the House of Representatives for the release of El-Zakzaky and his wife without any further delay.

“Finally, it would be recalled that the Boko Haram sect declared war on the people of Nigeria in 2009 following the cold murder of its leader, Mohammed Yusuf by the Police. Since then the nation has known no peace. This nation cannot afford another war of insurgency which is being provoked by the contemptuous conduct of the federal government in the handling of the case of the El-Zakzaky.”