SSS Tricks El-Zakzaky To Appear Before Media – Lawyer

File Photo: Ibrahim El-Zakzaky

Mr. Femi Falana, the lawyer of the detained Shiite leader, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, has said that his client was tricked by the State Security Service (SSS), to appear before the media to allay tension over his death rumour.

According to Falana, El-Zakzaky, who made a brief appearance before the media on Saturday, was apparently sick despite the security operatives’ claims that he was hale and hearty.

Falana said he had asked the Federal Government to release the Shiite leader and his wife for medical treatment after rumour of his death came up.

In a statement on Sunday, the lawyer, however, said, “Instead of acceding to my request the State Security Service misinformed Sheik El-Zakzaky and his wife of the readiness of the Federal government to release them after a media parade to assure the Shia community that the Sheik is alive and well.”

“Hence, they agreed to the media parade which lasted for one minute and 20 seconds (yesterday) in an undisclosed detention custody at Abuja.”

Falana said the health condition of El-Zakzaky was critical, adding that his wife’s condition was worse.

He said, “But contrary to the official claim that the Shiite leader is hale and hearty he is currently wearing a neck collar support which was procured for him when he fell sometime last December. That was when his personal doctor was allowed to examine him for the first time in his over two years detention period.”

“Before the neck injury he had lost his left eye while the recommendation of eye specialists that he be flown abroad to save the right eye and prevent him from going totally blind has been ignored by the federal government.

“In fact, the medical state of his wife is by far worse than his. She has been subjected to excruciating pain as some of the bullets deposited in her body on December 14, 2015 during the military invasion of their home in Zaria have not been removed.

“Hence, the organisers of the media parade deliberately prevented her from addressing the media representatives even though she was present at the so-called press conference.”

Falana added, “Having paraded the couple before the media, albeit illegally, the federal government should immediately proceed to purge itself of the aggravated contempt of the Federal High Court by complying with the order for their release from the illegal custody of the State Security Service.”

Ekl-Zakzaky and his wife have been in detention for over two years due to the clampdown on Shittes by the Nigerian Army.

A Federal High Court in Abuja had ordered the release of El-Zakzaky and his wife but the government declined the order.