(IMN) and his wife, Ibraheema. Concerned Nigerians also expressed readiness to house them upon release.
The group
made its position known in a statement issued on Sunday. Signed by Messrs. Deji
Adeyanju and John Danfulani, Convener and Secretary respectively, the statement
criticized the Minister of Information and Culture, Mr. Lai Mohammed, for
justifying the continuous and detention of Sheikh El-ZakZaky and his wife
despite a court order directing they should be freed.
"Alhaji
Lai Mohammed said Sheikh El-ZakZaky and his wife are not being detained or in
custody of the Police or Department of State Service (DSS), but in a home built
by this government. This assertion by Minister of Information is not only
false, but unacceptable to all well meaning Nigerians and an insult to our
collective sensibility," said Concerned Nigerians.
The group
noted that over 1000 IMN members were killed by government forces in Zaria in
2015, a crime for which none of the perpetrators has been put on trial. It
equally noted that Sheikh El-ZakZaky and
his wife have been denied access to their immediate and extended family, their
lawyers and IMN members.
It wondered
how the Information Minister could push the view that the IMN leader and his
wife are living in a house built by the Federal Government when they have not
been allowed visits by their immediate family, lawyers or IMN members.
Concerned
Nigerians said it is possession of information suggesting that Sheik Zakzaky
and his wife are still in DSS custody and have remained there since their
arrest in December 2015. It described, as a lie, the Federal Government's claim
that no Nigerian is willing to be a neighbor to Sheikh El- ZakZaky or accept
him. The group said it is ready to accept and be neighbors to the IMN leader.
"We are
willing and ready to accept ZakZaky as a neighbor. In fact, our Kaduna State
Coordinator and members, both in Kaduna City and Zaria, are ready to house
ZakZaky and his wife and support their reintegration into the society. We are
also willing and ready to provide accommodation for ZakZaky and his wife
pending his permanent reintegration," stated Concerned Nigerians.
The
pro-democracy appealed to the Federal government to release Sheikh El-ZakZaky
and his wife to it and put an end to their prolonged detention in disobedience
of a valid court order.
According to saharareporters, It called on
the Federal Government to realize that the world is paying attention to its
human rights record, which it described as the worst ever in the country's
history.
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