BEVERLY HILLS, April 05, (THEWILL) – Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has written to the Department of State Security (DSS) demanding an “unconditional release” of Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, the detained leader of the Shi-ite sect, and his wife, Zeenat, from “illegal detention” within 24 hours.
“Even though our clients have not been told that they breached any law, they have been denied access to their lawyers, personal physicians, and family members for over three months,” Falana wrote in a letter to the Director-General of the agency dated April 5.
“Our clients were only permitted to meet with us last Friday after several requests made by us had been turned down without any legal basis.
El-Zakzaky and his wife have been in detention since December last year, after a violent clash between members of his sect and the Nigerian army On December 12 at Zaria, Kaduna.
The next day, the soldiers returned to unleash more violence on the sect members and were later joined by officials of the Kaduna State government who demolished the sect’s buildings with bulldozers.
More than 300 members of the sect were allegedly killed in the attack, which the army described as an attempt to assassinate Tukur Buratai, the Chief of Army Staff, and released an edited video showing angry youth, armed with sticks and cutlasses, arguing with some army officers over the right of way for Mr. Buratai’s convoy.
In the aftermath of the incident, the Kaduna State government set up a Judicial Commission of Enquiry, but members of the sect refused to acknowledge the commission in protest of their El-Zakzaky’s continued detention.
“Although our clients were not at the scene of the attack, the rampaging troops invaded their residence at Wali Street, Zaria, on December 14,” Falana said.
“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.”
