The Federal Government has accused the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, IMN, popularly known as Shi’ite, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, of frustrating his treatment at the Indian hospital where he was taken to.
El-Zakzaky who has been in detention since 2015 was granted permission to seek medical attention abroad following a court order to that effect.
Remember that his detention was informed by the clash of his sect with the military authority.
The order was given by a Kaduna High Court on August 5, 2019.
The court however said he must be accompanied by security agents and state government officials.
On arrival at India, El-Zakzaky complained that the situation he was facing at the medical facility in London was worse than the one in Nigerian prisons and asked to be returned home.
But in a statement by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Grace Isu Gekpe, the Federal Government accused El-Zakzaky of rather trying to frustrate the doctors in India.
Ibrahim El-Zakzaky was said to have refused to subject himself to preliminary medical checks after state officials resisted his pressure to hand over his International Passport to him.
The statement is titled: The true story of El-Zazaky in India.
The statement reads in part: “He also demanded free movement and access to visitors of all kinds, and also requested to be allowed to check into a 5-Star Hotel instead of being admitted in the hospital.
“That request was rejected on the ground that he came into the country for medicals, and not as a tourist, especially with the Visa issued on medical grounds and not for tourism.
“He also demanded that Police protection be withdrawn from him by the Indian authorities.
“Against medical ethics and standard practice, he requested to nominate Doctors of his choice to join the ones tasked by Medanta Hospital to perform medical treatment on him and his wife.
“That demand created a stalemate as the Hospital insisted that he would not dictate to it on the choice of medical personnel to carry the required medical treatment.
“Frustrated by his antics, the Indian authorities have expressed willingness to return him to Nigeria with immediate effect. This is on the account that they will not allow him use their country to internationalise his group’s activities.
“Against this background, the Nigerian government wishes to commend the stand of the Indian Government as well as apologise to her for the unruly behaviour of El-Zakzaky.
“Similarly, the attention of the public and, indeed, the international community, is hereby drawn to these unfortunate developments.
“The government also wishes to use this opportunity to affirm its readiness to undertake the prosecution of El-Zakzaky through due process if and when he is returned to the country. On this note, his foul cry that he is being held in circumstances worse than he was in Nigeria should be disregarded.”
