Kaduna files fresh charges against Zakzaky, wife, others

The Kaduna State Government has filed 18 fresh charges against Sheikh Zakzaky, his wife and two others.

Daily Trust recalls that the El-Rufai government had in October 2016 declared the Zakzaky group that he led an illegal society. In the fresh suit against Zakzaky dated April 18, the suit listed 18 persons as witnesses to testify against the leader of IMN and others.

The suit which listed exhibits found in the possession of Shi’ites during its clash with men of the Nigerian Army in December 2015 as 40 pieces of catapults, 17 pieces of sticks, 70 knives, one piece of locallymade posted, 21 arrows and 12 bows, said Zakzaky agreed with other members of the sect to carry out illegal act.

It could be recalled that in December, 2015, followers of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky clashed with men of the Nigerian Army, when the sect members blocked the convoy of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS).

Relatedly, the presiding judge of the Federal High Court 1, Kaduna, Justice Saleh Shuaibu, has directed that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) be served with hearing notice in a suit filed by the Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky-led Islamic Movement in Nigeria against Kaduna State Government, challenging its proscription before the next adjourned date of May 16.

Our correspondent gathered that the IMN had filed the suit seeking to overturn its proscription by the El-Rufai government, joining seven others in the suit as respondents over what it called harassment of members of the group.

However, the suit filed by IMN challenging its proscription by the Kaduna State Government and the harassment of its members by law enforcement officials which came up for hearing yesterday was stalled following the none-service of hearing notice to the IGP.