Shiites Speak On El-Zakzaky Seeking Asylum In India

The Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), also known as Shiites, says its leader, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, did not seek asylum in India when he arrived for medical treatment as alleged by the Federal Government of Nigeria led by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Naija News reports that El-Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenah Ibrahim, returned to the country after the Shiites leader refused to be treated by doctors provided by the government.

Reacting to the development, the Nigerian government in a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Grace Isu Gekpe, it said the Sheikh and his wife were trying to gain international sympathy by openly accusing the Nigerian government of killing their sons in India.

“With total disrespect and complete loss of decorum for international procedures while in India, he initiated contacts with a team of lawyers led by Ali Zia Kabir Chaudary and Gunjan Singh in that country.

“He also contacted some Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), such as the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) and other Shiite groups. His aim was to seek asylum and eventually relocate to another country,” the Federal Government had alleged.

Debunking the allegation in a statement by its spokesman, Ibrahim Musa, Shiites described the Federal Government’s claim as a campaign of calumny to cover its ‘gross misconduct’ in a foreign land.

“Before efforts at resolving this impasse could be concluded, the Sheikh was brought back to Nigeria, since their evil schemes could not be executed. The government is now churning out contradictory explanations to blame the Sheikh for not allowing himself to be killed in the name of medical treatment. The Nigerian government is also blackmailing the Sheikh that he sought for asylum in India just to cover their own gross misconduct in a foreign land.

“The campaign of calumny has been championed by the Federal Ministry of Information, which sarcastically even said they were apologising to India for the Sheikh’s “unruly behaviour” rather than for their own obvious attempted assassination of somebody in another country!

“Isn’t it rather contradictory that someone allegedly seeking asylum would be unwilling to stay back irrespective of the circumstances but preferring instead to return to his home country. It is on record that it was the Sheikh who requested to be brought back home having been denied access to his doctors and rejecting the killer squad engaged to “treat” him instead,” Shiites said in the statement.