An Abuja Federal High Court has directed Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), and the Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Lawal Daura, to release leader of the Shi’ite movement, Ibraheem Zakzaky and his wife, Malama Zeenat or risk going to jail.
El-Zakzaky has been in detention since December 2015, after members of his Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), also known as Shi’ite, clashed with officers of the Nigerian Army in Zaria, Kaduna State.
A year after, in December 2016, the court ordered the DSS to free El-Zakzaky and his wife but the Shi’ite leader has remained in security custody.
The court also ordered compensation be paid to him, which was to be paid within 40 days from the day the judgment was delivered.
However, in a notice of consequence of disobedience to court order, the Federal High court warned the listed officials to release El-Zakzaky or face contempt of court charges, liable to a jail term.
The notice sent to the trio, reads in part: “Take notice that unless you obey the direction contained in the order of the Federal High Court of Justice Abuja, delivered on the 2nd December, 2016, which ordered you to release the Applicants in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/281/2016 and its sister case Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/282/2016 within forty (40) days, inter alia you will be guilty of contempt of court and will be liable to be committed to prison.”