Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The Kaduna State High Court, presided over by Justice Gideon Kurada, yesterday, fixed April 23 and 24 for the trial of leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, also known as ‘Shi’ites,’ Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenat.
Earlier, one of the Counsels for defendants, Marshal Abubakar, informed the court that the couple were declined medical attention in the custody of the correctional services.
The development prompted the trial judge to summoned the Controller of the Kaduna Correctional Centre to appear before it and stood down court proceedings for more than 2 hours.
Abubakar further told journalists shortly after court proceedings that the trial of his clients were again being frustrated by the state by not allowing the defendants access to their medical doctors as ordered by the court.
Abubakar said: “The matter was billed for today(Monday) for trial. The Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky and his wife, Mallama Zeenat Ibraheem were suppose to take their plea today and charges filed by the state against the couple over the incidents that occurred on Tue 12th and 13th December, 2015.
“As at the last dates, the state had informed the court that they intend to call their witnesses today but unfortunately, the trial was stalled by the state once again.
“On the last adjoining date, being February 6, 2020, the court had ordered that the defendants should be allowed access to medical care to be provided by their(defendants) medical practitioners in conjunction with the medical doctors nominated by the State Ministry of Justice and the prisons authorities, but unfortunately, it was brought to the court’s attention that that order was frustrated by the state – the Kaduna government and the prisons authorities who had refused to allow doctors of El-Zakzaky and his wife access to them for medical examination.”
Also, Counsel for the state and Director of Public Prosecution, Dari Bayero told journalists that all “grey areas” had been resolved as the court had ordered that the couple be allowed access to their medical doctors.
Bayero said, “There were some issues that arose in court. But all gray areas have been sorted out and the judge had given order that the personal physicians to the defendants be allowed access to them.
“Even of they want to go for scanning in any hospital, The Correctional Centre should provide security for them to be taken anywhere.
“The court had adjourned the matter to April 23 and 24, so that all the issues raised would have been to have been done for the trial to commence.”