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Nigeria Digest #36

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Nigeria Digest #36

12 May 2018

Islamic Human Rights Commission
NIGERIA DIGEST 12 May 2018 (Volume 2 Issue 21)

Introduction
Action Alert
Articles and Resources Digest

INTRODUCTION

Below please find an update on this week’s daily sit out and regular Free Zakzaky protests in the Nigerian capital Abuja and other cities in the country. Reacting to the last week’s forcible attempt to serve him court summons, Sheikh Zakzaky defiantly insisted that there was no need for the courts to be involved, as, “When they opened fire on us, it was not on the orders of any law court”.

In this week’s Action Alert, we request campaigners to write emails / letters to the African Union demanding the immediate release of the Sheikh and all those unjustly imprisoned.

Please forward any responses to any campaign letters/ emails you have sent to us and please keep the pressure up and send (follow up) letters / emails. A model letter is provided below in the Action Alert.

To find out more about the Zaria massacre, read IHRC’s submission to the International Criminal Court HERE

To find out how you can help further, please visit the IHRC FreeZakzaky campaign page HERE

Note: To enable images in this digest please click on “always show content from this sender” – on top of your email just under sender’s address.
Free Zakzaky!

ACTION ALERT: Demand Medical Treatment for the Life Threatening Medical Condition of Sheikh Zakzaky

1. CLICK HERE to send an email to the African Union and demand they intervene in this case by writing to the AU Chairperson, a model letter / email is provided below

2. If you receive a response please forward it to IHRC at info@ihrc.org

Model email / letter
If you are emailing, please use the following in the subject line:
Medical Treatment for the Life Threatening Medical Condition of Sheikh Zakzaky

African Union Chairperson
Mr Paul Kagame
Roosevelt Street (Old Airport Area), W21K19,
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Date:

Re: Sheikh Zakzaky
I am writing to ask for your urgent intervention to allow the illegally detained Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife to leave Nigeria for urgent medical treatment due to their critically deteriorating life threatening medical conditions.

Since early this year there are continuous demonstrations in Nigeria demanding immediate medical treatment for the life threatening medical condition of Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife and their immediate release.

The Sheikh’s personal doctor confirmed in his most recent report that his only remaining eye is in danger due to chronic glaucoma and recommended him to be taken abroad for urgent treatment by a specialist, this specialist treatment is not available in any of the Nigerian hospitals.

I am extremely concerned as Sheikh Zakzaky suffered a stroke in early January and his condition has further deteriorated due to the continued un-lawful detention preventing his medical treatment. He was shot severally more than two years ago, losing his left eye in the process and is currently at great risk of losing the other eye.
I urge your office to play an active role and make known in unconditional terms that the Nigerian Government will be held directly responsible if anything happens to the Sheikh or his wife and due to the seriousness and urgency of the situation I demand that the African Union takes the following actions:

Send a representative to Nigeria to see Mu’allim Zakzaky, his family and other detainees to assess their situation and intervene to allow specialist medical treatment outside Nigeria;
Suspend Nigeria’s membership for the violence perpetrated by its army against the IMN;
Demand the release of those held after mass arrests or being handed over to civilian police authorities;
Demand the Nigerian government provide proper and immediate medical attention to all detainees and that all are released;
Call for an independent investigation, under the auspices of an international body like the UN, into the violence and mass graves. The bodies of those in the mass graves need to be exhumed, identified and returned to their families. The Nigerian government and army needs to be held accountable for these crimes.

I look forward to hearing from you

Yours Sincerely,

Email: au-banjul@africa-union.org; DIC@african-union.org

ARTICLES AND RESOURCES

Free Zakzaky at Abuja National Mosque on Friday
11 May 2018
Protests continued in Abuja and a peaceful free Zakzaky protest was staged at Abuja National Mosque on Friday the 11th of May 2018.

Free Zakzaky Campaign Train Moves to Lagos
10 May 2018

Peaceful protest calling for the freedom for the leader of the Islamic movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky was staged in Victoria Island, Lagos on Wednesday, the 9th of May 2018. The protesters, carrying posters and placards, were calling on Buhari Regime to release the Sheikh whose health condition continues to deteriorate.

The protest was terminated at the residence of Senator Bola Ahmad Tinubu.

Free Zakzaky Protest in Abuja on Wednesday
09 May 2018
The continued peaceful protests calling for the freedom of Sheikh Zakzaky was also staged today Wednesday the 9th of May 2018 in Abuja.

You Used Brute Force To Arrest, Detain Us; Now Use The Same And Do Your Worse! – Sheikh Zakzaky
09 May 2018

Reacting to the attempt to serve him court summon in the case in which the Kaduna state governor, Nasiru El-rufai, charged him and three others to court on the spurious charges including that of culpable homicide punishable by death, the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky has said that they were not charged to court and sentenced before the army used brute force to massacre people.

He observed that the army used brute force without obtaining any court orders. “Therefore, they should similarly use force of guns to take us to court.”

The Sheikh defiantly insisted that there was no need for the courts this time around as well.

Meanwhile, the wife of the Sheikh said they killed her six sons all together and she saw no reason to fear death. She urged them to go ahead and complete the contract they took.

Malama Zeenah is the second accused person in the said case instituted by the Kaduna state government against her husband, herself and two others.

Below is the translated transcript and video of the Sheikh’s explanation, with English subtitled video:

“When they opened fire on us, it was not on the orders of any law court. They only brutally attacked us. Why now go to court seeking for death sentence for us? Why don’t they similarly simply open fire with their guns? What is left?”

Free Zakzaky Protest in Abuja on Tuesday
08 May 2018
A massive free Zakzaky protest was staged in Abuja the federal capital on Tuesday the 8th of May 2018. During the protest security forces were deployed, they however, followed the protesters to the terminating point without any attempt to attack them.

Dissecting MBS Utterances on Sheikh Zakzaky
08 May 2018

Last week, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Muhammad Bn Salman also known as MBS during his interview with the American Time Magazine declared that they have succeeded in altering what he termed as; “attempt to over throw government by Al-Zakzaky in Nigeria.”

Radio Deutch Welle Hausa service also reported and there was a clarification by a top member in the house of Saud. They plainly stated how they arrived prevalence due to their efforts towards obliterating Al-Zakzaky errand in Nigeria…

Court in Nigeria Dismisses Case Against 48 FreeZakzaky Protesters
08 May 2018

An Abuja magistrate court in Nigeria sitting in Wuse zone 6, Abuja, has yesterday, Monday the 7th May, 2018 dismissed the case against 48 brothers and sisters of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria charged with sundry offences simply because they participated in free Zakzaky processions in Abuja some months ago.

When the case of Commissioner of Police Vs Sani Aliyu & 47 others was called for hearing, all the accused persons were present in court, as were the lawyers standing for them. However, the prosecutors where nowhere to be found.

Free Zakzaky Protests Continued in Abuja
07 May 2018
FreeZakzaky Protests continued in Abuja and other Nigerian Cities despite Police’s brutal crackdown on Protesters, following are few Pictures of yet another Free Zakzaky protest in Abuja on Monday the 7th of May 2018