Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria has condemned the Kaduna State Government for filing fresh terrorism charges against the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenat.
El-Zakzaky and his wife were freed of all charges levelled against them by the Kaduna State Government on July 28, five years after being detained by the Department of Security Service (DSS).
In a ruling that lasted over eight hours, the presiding judge, Justice Gideon Kurada upheld the no-case submission filed by Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky and his wife in an alleged culpable homicide, unlawful assembly and disruption of public peace levelled against them by the Kaduna state government.
However, Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s administration filed a fresh seven charges against the IMN leader at the Federal High Court 24 hours later.
Falana, who is the lead counsel to El-Zakzaky, described the development as a “desperate bid by the Kaduna State Government to frustrate the release of the defendants from further incarceration.”
“The new charge was maliciously filed when the Kaduna State Government anticipated that the ruling fixed for July 28 in respect of our no case submission would succeed,” Falana said via a statement issued on Sunday.
The senior lawyer also praised the trial judge for “displaying exceptional courage and judicial independence amid what he described as intimidation by the forces of oppression”