Just In: Courts Frees El-Zakzaky, Wife….Orders Immediate Release

A Kaduna State High Court, on Wednesday, freed the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife.

Justice Gideon Kurada of the Kaduna State High Court acquitted and discharged the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) and his wife, Zeenat Ibrahim who have been standing trial in the court for the past four years.

In an eight-hour ruling, Justice Gideon Kurada upheld the no-case submission filed by El-Zakzaky and his wife. Justice Kurada said the case was not shown nor proven by the prosecutor.

El-Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenat, are standing trial on eight counts bordering on alleged culpable homicide, unlawful assembly, disruption of public peace, among others.

The Kaduna State Government had levelled an alleged culpable homicide, unlawful assembly and disruption of public peace against them.

The defendants had pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them.

The couple have been in detention since 2015, after IMN supporters clashed with soldiers in Zaria, Kaduna.

The defendants arrived in court this morning by officials of the Nigerian Correctional service amid tight security.

Their lead counsel and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, had on July 1, argued that all the 15 witnesses presented by the prosecution counsel were unable to establish any connection between the alleged crimes and Sheikh El-Zakzaky and his wife.

Falana then prayed the court to rule in favour of his clients and dismiss the charges levelled against them as there was no criminal case that has been established against them so far by the Kaduna State Government.