Zaria Massacre: Sheikh Zakzaky Sent To France For Treatment
25th Jan. 2016
Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, has been flown abroad for medical attention.
The Embattled leader was flown to France or treatment of gun shot injuries he suffered during the encounter between his supporters and members of the Nigerian army last year.
According to The Vanguard, the news was confirmed by military sources in Abuja on Saturday, January 23.
Several security sources who are knowledgeable in the matter, revealed that due to the seriousness of the injuries the Shiite leader sustained a clash with the army, he was secretly flown to France by the Nigerian government some weeks ago for treatment before being returned to the country two weeks ago.
Since the clash between the sect and the Military, his whereabouts has been shrouded in secrecy until it was revealed that he was moved from Kaduna to a safe house in Abuja belonging to one of the security services.
One of the sources said: “It is true that the federal government flew him out of the country for treatment. He was stabilized before he was brought back to Nigeria. The government did not want to take chances by keeping him in the country. We did not want a repeat of the incidence with the late leader of the Boko Haram movement whose death in custody exacerbated the crisis in the north east”.
It would be recalled that during the bloody encounter between members of the Shiites and the Nigerian army, several members of the sect were killed while many others sustained various degrees of injuries with some still on admission at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Shika near Zaria.
The showed occured, following an alleged rift over a blockade mounted by members of the sect along the Zaria-sokoto road. The road block reportedly prevented the convoy of the chief of Army staff from passing through despite several entreaties.
It was in the wake during this tussle that a bloody clash ensued, leaving Sheikh El-Zakzaky with several gun shot wounds, with some reports claiming that one of his eyes was affected during the showdown.
Meanwhile, some Kano residents have written a letter of complaint to the governer of Kano state about Shiites’ dangerous activities in the Kofar Waika area of the state, the residents called for the demolition of the residence of late Muhammad Turi which has been converted to a shrine.
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