Court Discharge Nigerian Shiite Leader, El-Zakzaky, Orders Immediate Release

A Kaduna State High Court judge, Justice Gideon Kurada has acquitted and discharged the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Ibraheem El- Zakzaky, and his wife who was arrested in 2015 and has since been standing trial in the court.

In the judgment delivered, Justice Kurada said the case was not shown nor proven by the prosecutor.

The defendants arrived in court early Wednesday morning amid tight security presence.
El-Zakzaky and his wife Zeenat Ibrahim have been standing trial for four years on an eight-count charge of alleged culpable homicide, disruption of public peace, and unlawful Assembly among others leveled against them by the El-Rufai led Kaduna state government.

Their lead counsel and senior advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Femi Falana, had on July 1 argued that all the 15 witnesses presented by the prosecution counsel were unable to prove the alleged crime leveled against El-Zakzaky and his wife.