COVID-19: Shiites Demand Immediate Release of El-Zakzaky, Wife From Detention

• The IMN claims that its leader, El-Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenah are being denied medical care even after she tested positive for COVID-19
• The couple are due in court on Monday January 25, 2020

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The Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), otherwise known as Shiites, on Friday renewed calls for the immediate release of its leader, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, and his wife, Zeenah.

This is coming in the heels of reports that Zeenah contracted COVID-19 in detention at the Kaduna Correctional center.

The movement’s spokesperson, Ibrahim Musa, in a statement, said six days after contracting COVID-19 while in detention, El-Zakzaky’s wife has not been taken to any specialised hospital to receive proper medical care.

Musa notes that given her underlying medical conditions and age, her infection places her at heightened risk of severe illness or death, while on the other hand, Sheikh El-Zakzaky himself suffers from many underlying conditions that put him at high risk of developing life-threatening symptoms should he contract the virus.

Read also: El-Zakzaky’s Wife Contracts COVID-19 In Prison

“We all know that COVID-19 requires an immediate response of urgent adherence to medical advice, more so, Malama Zeenah Ibrahim has been denied treatment for acute medical conditions including severe arthritis of the knee for five years now. Yet she is still in Kaduna prison at the moment, yet to be hospitalised, and yet to receive proper health care.

“The couple are due to appear in court on Monday, January 25 to face the charges brought against them by the government.

“We believe Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife should not be in custody in the first place. A competent court in Abuja freed both of them on December 2, 2016, but the government refused to obey the judgement of the court.

“We call upon the well-meaning Nigerians and the international community to prevail over the Federal and Kaduna State Governments to ensure maximum health care for this patient that is in her 60s and still grieving the extra-judicial killing of her six children,” the IMN spokesperson said.

Musa pointed out that President Buhari’s administration and the El-Rufai-led Kaduna State government should be held responsible if anything bad happens to their leader, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, and his wife.