Shi’ites hit the street as Zakzaky spends 1000 days in detention

Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) staged a peaceful protest to mark 1000 days of Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, its leader, in detention.

The protest was staged in Abuja on Friday.

Zakyzaky has been in detention since December 2015 when his followers clashed with some soldiers in Zaria, Kaduna state.

The sect has held series of protests over the continued detention of its leader despite an order of the federal high court, Abuja, granting him bail.

The protesters marched through the federal secretariat to the presidential villa gate, displaying placards and banners with inscriptions “FreeZakzaky; Buhari Obey Court Order”.

Addressing the protesters, Abdullahi Musa, a leader of the sect, said members of the sect are ready to lay down their lives for Zakzaky.

“Firstly, we have been living in misery without our leader; a lot of youth who are the followers of the sheikh are ready to die for the Sheikh,” he said.

“So, today is the 1000th day since he has been arrested; he is seriously sick and they did not allow him access to his medication and was not allowed to see his family members.”

He asked security agents to act on the information that was received by the sect that “some people within the government are planning to kill their leader on his way to the court or hospital”.

He also called on the international community to prevail on President Muhammadu Buhari to obey the court order their leader bail.