A Kaduna State Court trying the leader of Islamic Movement in Nigeria, IMN, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife Zeenah, has adjourned the case until 23-24 of April 2020.
Amidst tight security around the court premises, the court session resumed with counsel to both parties, Sheikh Zakzaky and Malama Zeenah, moved to the Judge’s chamber where the head of the Kaduna Correctional Centre ( prison) was summoned.
After the Court had taken a short recess and resumed at noon, the Judge inquired from the head of the Correctional facility were Zakzaky and his wife were detained, as to why the defendants had not been allowed to access medical treatment.
However, the Prosecuting counsel, Mr. Bayero Dari, told the court that they had followed court order, as the prison had requested that they are given the names of the doctors to come and were given by the Sadau Garba chamber. ”
The Prison Board had written to the government. 4 doctors, 3 of them are from the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital and 1 from Kaduna State and all 4 of them went to look at the defendants.”
While maintaining that he had all the documentation confirming what he had told the court, the prosecuting counsel said the problem was that if Zakzaky’s Doctors had to go to the hospital, they should be taken to a hospital for review.
The Judge, however, was dissatisfied at how the case was been handled, insisting that it was not proper to deny medical attention to the Zakzakys. The counsel, therefore, appealed to the courts to compel the Correctional officers allow their doctors to treat Zakzaky, pointing out that since the order was issued by the court, doctors should be allowed to treat Zakzaky. Currently, the defense counsel said, Zeenah was bleeding from her nose and mouth which proved that the defendants were in a serious need of medical attention. Mr. Sadau Garba therefore, sought the court’s permission for Abubakar Marshall to lead the session, at the absence of leading counsel Femi Falana and the judge agreed.
Abubakar Marshall told the court that in the previous session, the judge had ordered the prison authorities to allow the Sheikh’s Doctors to treat him and his wife. ” The prison authorities refused to do so despite being issued a warrant previously by the court,’” he said.
