Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana SAN has called on the Federal Government to unconditionally release the leader of the Shia sect, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, saying he is currently battling to save his sight while in the detention facility of the Department of State Services, DSS.
Falana, in a letter to the DSS, demanded the immediate release of El-Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenat, who have been in detention since December 2015.
El-Zakzaky and his wife were arrested and detained in December 2015 after a violent clash broke out between members of his sect and the Nigerian army for allegedly blocking the convoy of the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Burutai.
Falana said, “As a result of the brutal attack, Sheikh Zakzaky lost his left eye while doctors are currently battling to save the right one,”
“To compound the physical pain and mental anguish that our clients were subjected to in the circumstance, the Nigeria Police Force and State Security Service have held them incommunicado for the past three and half months.”
The clash which the army claimed was an attempt to assassinate Burutai, allegedly led to the loss of over 300 members of the sect.
Falana continued: “Although our clients were not at the scene of the attack, the rampaging troops invaded their residence at Wali Street, Zaria, on December 14,” Mr. Falana stated.
“The troops set the building ablaze and killed three of our clients’ children in their presence and thereby subjected them to untold mental agony.
“Thereafter, the armed soldiers shot our clients several times. As a result of the brutal attack, Sheikh Zakzaky lost his left eye while doctors are currently battling to save the right one.
“To compound the physical pain and mental anguish that our clients were subjected to in the circumstance, the Nigeria Police Force and State Security Service have held them incommunicado for the past three and half months.”