Presidency: Why Zakzaky can’t be released

The Presidency has said leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) Ibrahim Zakzaky cannot be released from detention in public interest and security concerns.

A top Presidency official, who did not want to be named, disclosed this to State House correspondents yesterday.

According to him, the issue of the release of Zakzaky is not exclusively legal as it has security and public interest as against individual interest undertone.

Outlining what he called the obstacles to Zakzaky’s release, the official said: “The major constitutional policy objective of government as stated in section 14 (2) (b) is public and not individual security.

“The issue of the release of Zakzaky is not exclusively legal. It has security and public interest as against individual interest undertone.

“Public interest and national security implications must be factored into consideration in line with international practices that conventionally place national security and public interest above any other individual claim of right.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria is looking into the case with the public and security interest dimensions into consideration.”

On the said detention of Zakzaky’s wife alongside her husband, the official explained that the wife was not of any security interests and therefore was merely keeping her husband’s company” in the apartment in which he is kept.

“She is not under detention. If it is her wish, that of her husband or of the IMN, she will be allowed to go home in a matter of hours,” the official said.

He explained that Zakzaky’s wife was picked up by the Department of Security Services (DSS) beside her husband with bullet wounds following IMN’s encounter with the army.