El-Zakzaky, Wife Return To Nigeria Tonight

The Shiites leader in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenat are expected back in Nigeria on Friday morning.

 

A key leader of the sect confirmed that the couple would leave the Madenta Hospital India back for Nigeria.

 

A top member of the IMN, Yahaya Muhammad Soje disclosed these to the Nation that El-Zakzaky and his wife had expressed dissatisfaction over the treatment provided by the doctors and alleged threats by security operatives.

 

“The security officials refused to allow the doctors he requested to treat him and his wife. As I am speaking with you now they are preparing to return to Nigeria this night.”

 

The Spokesman of the sect, Ibrahim Musa, also confirmed El-Zakzaky’s return journey.

 

Musa said the government and the Indian hospital management refused to allow El Zakzaky’s doctors to be part of the team of doctors to treat him.

 

”We are expecting the Sheikh tomorrow (Friday) in Nigeria. The Sheikh insisted that the doctors who had already examined him before should be allowed to have a say in his treatment.

 

”Initially they agreed that his doctors should be part of the team and observe the treatment.

 

But they later refused and the Sheikh said since they will not allow the doctors to observe the treatment, it is better he returns home.

 

“The doctors are not working in the hospital, but the Sheikh has the right to ensure that his doctors are part of the team to treat him.

 

”They initially agreed, but the government and the hospital management refused.”

 

Musa said, “If the sheikh comes back, we are going to look for an alternative country to go. Like the sheikh said, we will choose to go to Malaysia, Turkey or Indonesia.”

 

The Shiite leader and his wife, Zeenat arrived India on Tuesday with their relatives, security operatives and government officials.

 

El-Zakzaky had on Wednesday alleged that the condition at the Medanta Hospital in India, where he was taken on Tuesday is worse than that of Nigeria and the prison.

 

The leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), was flown to India on Monday following a Kaduna court order last week.

 

He had requested to be allowed to travel to India for advanced medical treatment following the deterioration of his health and that of his wife, Zeenat, in detention.

 

Both of them have been detained since December 2015 after a clampdown by soldiers who killed at least 347 IMN members.

 

In the audio, Mr El-Zakzaky accused the Nigerian government of frustrating his medical treatment in India.

 

Speaking in Hausa, he said the situation at the hospital in India is “pathetic and worrisome situation.”

 

He said the management of Medanta Hospital, New Delhi, had been threatened not to admit him for treatment.

 

“The hospital officials received us well they told us that they parked two ambulance vehicles, deceiving the crowd while taking us out through another way, saying that it was for our own safety.

 

“On getting to the hospital, we are placed under a tighter security situation worse than what we have been witnessed in Nigeria. We are currently more confined than when we were in Nigeria, worse than prison setting.

 

“Contrary to what was agreed before our arrival, that our own personal doctors would supervise this treatment. Now they’ve changed the arrangement. So, we objected receiving treatment from strange doctors without the supervision of our own trusted physicians,’’ he noted.

 

In the audio, the IMN leader said he wants to return to Nigeria to source for a reliable and trusted hospital among those countries that offer help.

 

“There are some other countries that volunteered to help which include Malaysia, Turkey,’’ he said.

 

The Nigerian government responded to the blackmail of El-Zakzaky, saying that he and his followers have not been saying the truth.

 

In a statement by Grace Isu Gekpe, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information government said El-Zakzaky has been his own problem in India as he has been making unrealistic demands, since he left Nigeria on Monday.

 

Among El-Zakzaky’s demands are: He wanted his passport returned to him, he wanted to check into a five star hotel, rather than be admitted into Medanta Hospital, which he chose himself and he wanted his personal doctors to attend to him in Medanta, rather than the in-house doctors of Medanta.

 

“As a result of the stand-of that he had with Medanta Hospital doctors, he has not allowed preliminary checks to be conducted on him,” government said.