Any moment from now, the leader of the Shi’te islamic sect in Nigeria, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, will be released from custody, information available to Huhuonline.com has shown.
El-Zakzaky is accused of running a nation inside Nigeria. His group allegedly attacked the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, in Zaria leading to a reprisal attack by the army that resulted in the death of many of the sect members. Human rights groups put the death toll at over 300.
Wounded El-Zakzaky was arrested with some of his followers and has since then been kept away from his group and family members despite calls from various quarters demanding his immediate release.
Hints that the sect leader is due to be released surfaced on Thursday when the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), asked the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs led by Sultan Abubakar Sa’ad of Sokoto, to make its request for the release of El-Zakzaky.
It was learnt from government sources Thursday that the the Federal Government was ready to release him, but that the government wanted a prominent and respected individual to be a surety.
This may be one of the reasons the government wants a formal demand by the Sultan.
“You know that the way it is now, before Zakzaky is released, there is need to have someone who can stand as surety and be able to pressure Zakzaky to be of good conduct when he comes out,” the source said in a phone discussion.
In a statement by the Special Adviser to the Attorney-General of the Federation on Media and Publicity, Salihu Isah, also confirmed that the AGF advised the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs on how they should about the release of the sect leader and his followers.
He said Malami gave the advice to the Islamic group when its members paid him a visit.
It was learnt that part of the visit by the 10-man delegation led by Prof. Daud Noibi, who is also the Chairman of the NSCIA Contact Committee, was to demand for the release of Zakzaky while urging the AGF to intervene.
Other members of the delegation included the National Secretary of the Council, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, Malam Yunus Ustaz (SAN), Prof. Dahiru Yahaya, Mallam Musemil Hanga, Prof. Ibrahim Suleiman, Alhaji Ibrahim Jega, Malam Ishaq Sanni, Imam Ahmad, a former Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abubakar Tsav (rtd), and Mallam Yusuf Ali (SAN).
Apart for treatment for the injured, the group also urged the release of the corpses of the dead so they could get be buried in consonance with Islamic rites.
At the meeting, the AGF was said to have told the guests: “I will do whatever I can within the confines of the law to see how an amicable resolve can be achieved.
“So when your demands are formalised, I will treat and facilitate it to the appropriate quarters accordingly.
“As Muslims, we know what is obtainable in Islam especially in the area of rights, individual rights, especially rights of way.
“As Muslims, we have a collective responsibility to create awareness through our preaching on tolerance and compliance according to the dictates of Islam.“
The AGF expressed his support for the incident to be investigated so as to help curtail future occurrences.
Noibi had explained how the Council intervened in the clash between the Islamic group and the Army through a meeting.
“When it happened, the Council called a meeting presided over by the Sultan because it is the duty of the Council to meet stakeholders to have amicable settlement.
“We have met the Army Chief, the Inspector General of Police and others, and now it’s your turn as Minister of Justice.
“We want to request that those injured in the clash should be given adequate medical attention, while those who are dead should be released to their families for proper burials,” he said.
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