*By Mubarak Zakariyya, BS.c Sociology*
Sadly, it has been six years since the inhuman and cold-blooded massacre of unarmed citizens in Zaria, perpetrated by the Nigerian army led by Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai (rtd). The Nigerian Army deemed that the followers of the Islamic Movement gathering is an assassination attempt on the Chief of Army Staff, in person of Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai (rtrd).
All of a sudden, the Army deployed a number of its men and strategically positioned them around the Islamic movement center; whilst brothers and sisters continued to gather for the flag hoisting programme. Meanwhile, it later became apparent that the soldiers were on an all-out mission by deploying all sorts of weapons to Hussainiyya Baqiyyatullah and also besieged Gyallesu (Sheikh Zakzaky's residence) aiming to kill the Sheikh and possibly exterminate all his followers.
The Nigerian Army built a death toll... at least 348 civilians were killed and 347 bodies were secretly buried by the army in a mass grave. Three sons of Sheikh Zakzaky, Hammad, Ali Haidar, and Humaid, and other 1000+ followers were martyred during the three-days massacre.
The major charges labelled against Sheikh Zakzaky and His wife are; Road blockade, assassination attempt, and creation of a state within a state as well as the possession of his own militia which are not allowed constitutionally, which is a fallacious charges.
Currently, Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife Malama Zeenatu can not travel abroad for medical treatment. As narrated, the victims said in their separate suits that their passports were seized from them, after they returned from a government-supervised medical trip to India in 2019.
However, the Federal High Court, Abuja, has now fixed January 19, 2022, to hear the suit filed by the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, and his wife, Zeenah, over the seizure of their passports.
The report has found in detail that the “flagged" which is a Travel Restriction being placed on Sheikh El-Zakzaky’s passport with number A50578740 and that of Zeenah numbered A50578739, in violaty of their fundamental human rights, their lawyer argued.
Premium Times and News Agency of Nigeria Report on November 5, 2021.
The plaintiffs also urged the court to declare that the “Flagging” placed on their passports and land borders by the respondents without a court order is illegal and unconstitutional as it violates their right to fair hearing guaranteed by Section 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The world is watching you, and we are still waiting for you, justice delayed is justice denied We demand for instant release of Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife Zeenatu's passports to travel for medical attention.
*1st January, 2022*