Court fixes July 6 for Judgment on Shiites, soldiers clash in Zaria

Take Notice Of Contempt On El-Zakzaky Continuous Detention, Counsel Tells Court

A Federal High Court, Kaduna, yesterday reserved judgment in the case of the December 2015 Zaria bloody clashes between the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Shiites and the Nigerian Army for Thursday, July 6, 2017.

Besides, the applicant in the suit and leader of the Shiites, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky had taken the Nigerian Army, Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Yusuf Buratai, Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and the Kaduna State Government to the Federal High Court in Kaduna over the alleged Killings.

The Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Gabriel Kolawole had earlier delivered judgment on the infringement of the fundamental rights and unlawful detention of El-Zakzaky and his wife, while he ordered their release within 45 days, provision of befitting accommodation and the payment of damages to the tune of N50 million.

When the case came up for hearing in Kaduna yesterday, Justice Saleh Musa Shuaibu said: “I have the written addresses of both the applicants and respondents in this case before me and I have also gone through Kolawole’s judgment in Abuja, which dealt with El-Zakzaky and his wife’s unlawful detention.

“I will concern myself with the alleged destruction of the applicant’s houses and property by the Army and the killings of his children, which were brought before me. And all these have been covered by the written addresses, exhibits, affidavits and annexure of counsels and which I have gone through.”

However, the Counsel to the Applicant, Festus Okoye, while addressing the court, said that despite the fact that Justice Kolawole ordered the release of Zakzaky and his wife, the third respondent, Directorate of State Services (DSS) has remained adamant to the judgment “thereby giving approval to what the first and second respondents did.