The head of the outlawed Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, and his wife, Zeenah, lost their action trying to force the Nigeria Immigration Service to renew their passports.
Judge Obiora Egwuatuof the federal high court, Abuja, in a ruling, concluded that the couple failed to offer adequate evidence to establish that their passports were either confiscated, destroyed, or lost, or that the NIS was hesitant to reissue travel papers to them.
The News Agency of Nigeria reported that El-Zakzaky and his wife, via their lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), sued the NIS and its Comptroller General as the first and second defendants in January 2022 for claimed reluctance to provide new foreign passports to them.
Additionally participating in the claim are the National Intelligence Agency and the Department of State Services as 3rd and 4th defendants, respectively.
In the action titled FHC/ABJ/CS/22/2022, the applicants requested the court to protect their basic rights inherent in the Nigerian constitution and the African Charter of Human and Peoples Rights.
They stated that their old passports were taken and destroyed in 2015 when security officials entered their residence.
But counsel for the NIS, Jimoh Adamu, rejected the charges of reluctance to provide new passports to the couple, claiming his agency was conducting investigations.
In February 2022, Adamu petitioned the court with an application for a joinder, hoping the court would join the NIA and DSS in the action.
Giving the verdict, the court noted that the applicants did not prove that it was the defendants who seized their passports but instead averred that their passports were either destroyed or lost in 2015 when their apartment was invaded by security officers.
“This application is thus dismissed,” Judge Egwuatu stated.
Meanwhile, Shi’ite demonstrators invaded the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on Thursday, urging the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to ease the travel restriction on the head of the IMN.
According to our reporter, the Secretary of the Academic Forum of the Islamic movement, Abdullahi Musa stated, “There are shards of gunshots around his head and neck. Indeed, around the skull – from the cheek up to the head – shards in his hands, on his thigh. He is living with some quantity of those toxins in his body, including the shards of bullets. Additionally, his wife has bullets (wounds) on her tummy and her thigh. She still has one full bullet in her body, which found its spot in her pelvis and the surgeons claimed they could not remove it here in Nigeria.
“Therefore, refusing the Sheikh and his wife’s required travel permits, following their unequivocal release and acquittal by the court, is nothing but trampling on their right to life.
“We will continue to demonstrate until Buhari, and his Minister of Justice, Malami Abubakar, lift the travel restriction on Sheikh Zakzaky and his Wife and return their passports unconditionally,” Musa added.
He stated, “The protest kick-started from the Federal High Court Abuja and marched along Shehu Shagari Freeway, to the Federal Secretariat. The demonstration was about to be halted when the Police came and began firing with live ammo. Eight persons got life-threatening gunshot injuries, two sustained fractures on their legs due to the shooting, and one was wounded on his back.”
But, when sought for remarks, the Public Relations Officer of the FCT Police Command, Josephine Adeh, stated, “I have not been informed on any demonstration. Until I have been informed, I cannot comment on it.”
